PENITENTIARY IDEAL

Penitentiary Ideal and the Two Models of American Prisons

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of Penitentiary Ideal in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on Penitentiary Ideal and its relation with American Prisons. The research also analyzes many aspects of Penitentiary Ideal and tries to gauge its effect on American Prisons.

Penitentiary Ideal and the Two Models of American Prisons

When I think of a penitentiary, I thought of solitary confinement and punishment. There was different ideal of what a penitentiary should be. The penitentiary ideal of a penitentiary was that it was to be both secular and spiritual. Instead of this place, to be a place of physical punishment, it was supposed to be a place of humane punishment. The penitentiary was a clean and healthy place. It was not like a jail. In fact, penitentiary was not supposed to be anything like a jail or prison. They wanted the penitentiary to be a place to avoid contamination. They tried to keep all the criminals separated from each other at all time as much as they could. It was almost as if they were there to repent for what they have done and to think about the consequences. There was very little physical punishment, only when it was needed.

The principal goal of a penitentiary was that it was supposed to be a place to express regret for the wrongdoing which one has done. They expected a criminal to reflect on what he/she has done and feel horrible for it. This allowed the criminals to say that he or she is sorry and to promise not to do it again. They also wanted a criminal to achieve the kind of spiritual transformation in a criminal being that was associated with the religious ...