LIFE IN ANTEBELLUM AMERICA 1807 1861
REFORM MOVEMENTS OF THE 19TH CENTURY
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Prisons are outdated and should be eliminated.
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Prisons should be controlled by the Federal government.
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Prisons should focus their efforts on punishing the criminal.
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Prisons should focus their efforts on rehabilitating the criminal.
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Detailed explanation-1: -The correct answer is A) prisons should focus their efforts on rehabilitating the criminal. The view of prisons changed in the early-1800s in the United States in that prisons should focus their efforts on rehabilitating the criminal.
Detailed explanation-2: -In 1817, a visitor observed 45 prisoners housed there. Over time, the prisoners themselves began to change. No longer just debtors or petty criminals, prisoners were more hardened, violent offenders, convicted of murder, robbery, rape and arson.
Detailed explanation-3: -Before the 1950s, prison conditions were grim. Inmates were regularly caged and chained, often in places like cellars and closets. They were also often left naked and physical abuse was common.
Detailed explanation-4: -The face of penal institutions is changing. The era of moderate sentences and post-incarceration supervision has been replaced by long sentences with little or no parole. The goal of rehabilitation has been replaced by human warehousing. Moreover, the demographics of prisons have shifted over the past few decades.
Detailed explanation-5: -Unfortunately, research has consistently shown that time spent in prison does not successfully rehabilitate most inmates, and the majority of criminals return to a life of crime almost immediately.