The idea of punishment can be traced from the Biblical era when punishment was used as the principle of responding to crime. It was also thought as a way of distinguishing between right and wrong to promote moral and just in the society. According to Kozak (2017), there are three main components relating to punishment over centuries. American prisons have developed from a penitentiary era when prisons were places meant for punishment to reformatory era that focused on prisoners’ education, the industrial age during which the prisoners worked in the prison industries as the source of cheap labor, the warehousing era of incapacitation, and finally the just desert era that focused on punishments. The focus and types of discipline in the prisons changed
Among the changes incorporated in the prison system is prison management. The international standards ensure the protection of the human rights of prisoners by providing guidelines in developing policies and regulations related to prisons. Thus, prisoners are treated with almost respect. The pre-trial detention gives people the opportunity to be declared guilty or not thus improving the accessibility of justice (Goodstein & MacKenzie, 2013). The legal and paralegal programs supporting the system, as well as information management and corporation between the prisons and the courts. Finally is the use of the alternative sanction measures that help in decongesting the prisons.
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One of the changes that can increase the well-being of the prisoners include increasing the good time incentives. Allowing the prisoners to spend quality time outside the prisons and giving them credit when they act appropriately can encourage them to develop good behavior. Additionally, the adoption of the community-based treatment program can assist lawbreakers to turn into self-independent, healthy, and participating members of the community. The amendments are to reduce the likelihood of an offender engaging into crimes.
References
Goodstein, L., & MacKenzie, D. L. (Eds.). (2013). The American prison: Issues in research and policy (Vol. 4). Springer Science & Business Media.
Kozak C. (2017). A History of Prisons In America. Huffpost. Accessed from https://ww w.huffingtonpost.com/dr-kirk-anthony-james/a-history-of-prisons-in-a_b_9299850.html
