The Punishment And Rehabilitation For Centuries - 1284 Words

The intent of incarcerating criminals has fluctuated between punishment and rehabilitation for centuries. According to Thomas Cahill, Pennsylvania Quakers founded the first prison in America in 1790. The intent of the prison was to provide the offender â€Å"a peaceful (if compulsory) sanctum where offenders could study the scriptures, repent, and reenter society as rescued, reformed, and pious citizens†. Since that first â€Å"penitentiary†, public opinion and policies regarding incarceration have waivered. It appears that as the crime rate went up, greater emphasis was placed on punishment. As crime rates subsided, rehabilitation became more prevalent. (Cahill, 2007) According to Professor Joan Petersilia’s 2011 paper, published by the National Institute of Justice, the United States now has the highest incarceration rate of any free nation. As a proportion of its population, the United States incarcerates five times more people than Britain, nine times more than Germany, and 12 times more than Japan. Starting in the 1970s through the 2000s, the number of Unites States citizens serving prison terms was on the rise. This was likely a result of stiffer penalties implemented by lawmakers due to the increased crime rates in the 1960s. (Lopez, 2016) This trend of more and longer incarcerations continued through the 2000s even though the crime rate began to drop in the 1990s. The United States is now turning from longer prison terms to rehabilitation as a means of crimeShow MoreRelatedPunishment Research Paper1317 Words   |  6 PagesPunishment Research Paper Megan Marie Kayser University of Phoenix June 12, 2011 Patrice Jackson SOC/120 Punishment Research Paper There have been four types of justification for punishment throughout the years of society. 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