The Brutality Of 19th-Century Prisons

Prior to the American Revolutionary War , which ran from 1775 to 1783, the United States criminal justice system was less about punishment and reform and more about embarrassment. It was reportedly common for non-capital offenders to be branded, whipped, mutilated, or subjected to public humiliation. The English criminal code formed the basis for this pre-1800s justice system that was found in many regions of the United States at the time. Yet historians say that compared to how things were in England, criminals in America were more likely to be forgiven — especially for less severe crimes — and rarely put to death.

Moreover, while the concept of imprisonment (or placing into captivity people who were undesirable in society, for various reasons) has been theorized to be as old as cannib