The Modern Prison - Essay Example

In what ways were new ideas of power and reform central to the formation of the modern prison, 1770-1840? It has been argued that historians have failed to give the exact explanations of the developments of prisons. It has been insinuated by books and researchers that were available before 1970s that the prisons evolved naturally. However, after assessing the available data, it was discovered that there were administrative and institutional changes that happened. This essay will certainly discuss and clarify for the reader to fully understand the whole idea of the prison system in a whole. Prior to 1970s, the data collected ignored facts like the historical contexts of the modern prison and disregarded the intellectual, social and political aspects of how the new prison era emerged. This essay will define intellectual, social and political agendas and put these critical words all together and combine them into one context for the better understanding of the essay. There were two intellectual thinkers on this subject, John Howard (1777) and Elizabeth Fry (1827) who also were religious reformers, came with the idea that prisoners were supposed to be isolated. This idea came about so that other corrupt criminals in the prison wouldn’t be able to influence them. Another reason both supported this notion was to give the prisoners a religious foundation. It was recommended that prisoners have a religious chapel which would teach prisoners what is acceptable by a religious standpoint. So basically what they recommended was a ‘well –ordered prison’ should be established. Michael Foucault (1977) gives a fantastic example of the procedure of where a man called Robert Francois Damien, who was an attempted assassin to King Louis XV in the 15th century, was hanged in an inhumane way. Foucault brings this to attention because the public still found this an acceptable form of punishment. It was so embraced that stand-byers would consider it a form of cinema attraction. Foucault found it reprehensible and attempted to accomplish a liberal kind of punishment, which were prisons. However, people began losing interest in capital punishment as riots occurred and major disturbances arose. People began finding the open hanging repulsive and many hangmen were attacked. There was also a great concern about how surgeons would pay a high price for the fresh dead bodies to be able to practice their medical skills. The main theory of imprisonment then became ideal and supported by social writers like Daniel Defoe (1728), Bernard de Mandeville 917250 and Henry Fielding (1751). They also supported the idea of abolishing public hangings and the use of imprisonments should be established. Cesare Beccaria came with a classicist approach claiming that criminals would now know the disadvantages they would have to deal with, when committing a crime and the punishment they would receive. Beccaria also believed that punishment should be as equal to the crime as possible. Criminals should be deprived from one thing, which was their individual liberty. This also meant that offenders should all be treated the same, whether rich or poor, young or old, female or male, should all be given the same kind of treatment. Some also argue that the enlightenment was also involved in creating the new prison era, as great thinkers suggested that prisons would reform criminals and improve society. This was supposed to happen by using scientific codes to produce more useful and obedient individuals. Socially it could be argued that society contributed a lot in the creation of the new prison era, as society wanted criminals of the street. However off the street not meaning being killed by the juvenile system, but rather in an area where they are secured and being reformed to come back as better citizens. Unfortunately class became an issue where there was imbalance. Russell and Hogg claimed that the criminal law favoured the middle and upper classes and they also made mention that reformers were mainly interested in religion and philanthropies. Foucault (1948) viewed the prison as being a positive institution for the bourgeoisie and a negative for the working class. It could also be argued that the economy influenced the formation of the modern prison as well. A moderate proportion of prisoners worked for farmers, which meant job losses in the production industry and being paid less than the previously did once the imprisoned returned to society and work. This poses a problem which called for government intervention. To politically assess the situation of how the prisons were created, governments began supporting the idea of the formation of the prison. In a whole prison like gaols, bride wells, jailhouses and houses of correction were there to remove criminals from society and to provide a place where they could be transformed. The government believed that by depriving them from their liberty they would learn from their lessons and realize how inhumane it really is to be as isolated as in a prison. It can be argued that historians have failed to give a thorough explanation of the evolvement of prisons. Factors such as politics, intellectuals, religion and socio-class all played a part in how the prison systems are ran today. However, what has remained is the idea of punishing individuals for wrongs in an humane fashion. BIBLIOGRAPHY R. Matthews, Doing Time: An Introduction to the Sociology of Imprisonment, (1999) J. Muncie, R. Sparks, Imprisonment: European Perspectives Y. Jewkes, H. Johnston: Prison Readings: A critical introduction to prisons and imprisonment M. Foucault, Discipline and Punish (1977) M. Ignatieff, State, Civil Society and Total Institution: A critique of Recent Social Histories of Punishment Read More