Correctional Philosophies & Eras
What two goals defined the Penitentiary Era of the early/mid-1800s?
Incapacitation and deterrence
Which system emphasized silence and isolation, with prisoners kept alone for moral reflection?
The Pennsylvania Model
What are three common issues facing U.S. prisons today?
Overcrowding, lack of resources/staff, lack of medical or treatment services
What type of facility is designed for offenders held under one year or awaiting trial?
A jail
What movement in the 1960s challenged the courts’ “hands-off” approach to prison administration?
The Prisoners’ Rights Movement
After the Civil War, which era shifted focus toward rehabilitation and vocational training?
The Reform Era
Which system used congregate labor during the day and separate cells at night under strict silence?
The Auburn Model
What movement in the 1980s increased incarceration rates and overcrowding?
The War on Drugs
Which group tends to have lower levels of institutional violence — male or female inmates?
Female inmates
How did 1990s legislation affect inmates’ legal rights?
It restricted inmates’ ability to challenge conditions
What era focused on inmate labor rather than rehabilitation and continued until the 1930s?
The Industry Era
Offenders serving more than one year are typically housed where?
In prisons
Why did the U.S. turn away from rehabilitation in the 1970s?
Belief that “nothing works” and the rise of get-tough sentencing
Name two types of special needs populations in modern prisons.
Elderly inmates, mentally ill, substance-abusing, or infectious disease inmates
Define reintegration in corrections.
The process of preparing inmates to successfully return to society
What report in the 1970s claimed that “Nothing Works” in rehabilitation, fueling punitive policies?
Robert Martinson's Report
What are the four main prison classifications based on risk?
Minimum, medium, maximum, and supermax
What are modern strategies to reduce prison overcrowding?
Alternatives to incarceration and community sanctions
What are three ways institutions address inmate violence?
Criminal prosecution, loss of privileges, solitary confinement/segregation
Why did reentry programs become popular again in recent decades?
High costs, overcrowding, and high recidivism made reentry reform necessary
What era reemerged in response to overcrowding, costs, and failed reentry, focusing on evidence-based reintegration?
The Reentry Era
What does custody classification aim to reduce?
Escape, assaults, and improve administrative efficiency
How does the RNR (Risk-Need-Responsivity) model improve correctional outcomes?
Matches treatment to offender risk, targets criminogenic needs, and tailors interventions to abilities
Why has the number of elderly inmates increased in U.S. prisons?
Due to sentencing enhancements and longer mandatory terms
What modern philosophy emphasizes repairing harm, offender accountability, and community involvement?
Restorative Justice