Position Paper Prior to the 18th century, corporal punishment, forced labor, and social ostracism were seen as more viable forms of punishment than incarceration. (http://www.adpsr.org/home/prison_history). Incarceration rose to prominence as a form of punishment in Europe during the 18th century because of the enlightenment's focus on personal liberty. Withholding or restricting personal liberty, which is essentially what incarceration is, was considered significant payment for a crime.mThe time served in incarceration was proportional to the severity of the crime committed. The United States quickly followed in England and France's footsteps, adopting the enlightenment concept of restricting personal liberty while also adding in their religious views. In this process, the U.S. established penitentiaries, and incarcerated individuals became penitents who were serving time for their sins. …show more content…
Maintaining control of the penitentiaries became the primary concern, and reform was put on the back burner. By the late 19th century, outrage over poor conditions in penitentiaries led to several reformatory movements. Lead reformers desired for prisons to create model citizens by providing education, work, counseling, and flexible time sentences that depended on individual behavior. Along with these reforms, juveniles were separated from adults. However, the juvenile justice system became worse than it was previously because no one took responsibility for the maintenance of the system. Despite major reform attempts, prisons continued to deteriorate and jailers and inmates alike struggled for control in inhumane and hostile