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Introduction - What aspects of the Jacksonian Era in the United States shaped the trends/issues in the topic?  Why?

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Introduction - What aspects of the Jacksonian Era in the United States shaped the trends/issues in the topic?  Why?

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The Prison reform movement of the 19th century sought improved conditions in prisons and asylums in the United States along with rehabilitation over punishment. Reformers made significant efforts to separate the mentally ill from overcrowded and dangerous prisons, advocating for better treatment for all. During the Jacksonian Era, the expansion of democracy and emphasis on individual rights encouraged social reforms such as the prison reforms and inspired leaders such as Dorothea Dix, Louis Dwight, and others to push for change in the prison system. Influenced by different religious values and enlightenment ideals, reformers argued that prisoners deserved humane treatment and a chance to reintegrate into society with education opportunities. The movement led to remarkable changes, including the development of structured prison systems like the Auburn system, the creation of mental health institutions, and reducing physical punishment for inmates. Moreover, the prison reforms helped separate young offenders, who made ignorant decisions, from adult prisoners with prior criminal records. This prevented future crimes and assisted future generations with better opportunities and second chances for those willing to improve. Regardless of the efforts, issues such as prison overcrowding and separation of the mentally ill from regular prisons persist today. However, vital progress was made and with ongoing efforts to improve conditions, inmates will have better opportunities to alter their lives.

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Significance of Movement - What was the significance of this topic to the United States identity? 

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Significance of Movement - What was the significance of this topic to the United States identity? 

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The prison reforms from the 1820s-1870 were crucial for the reforms that are continuing nowadays.  We see Dorothea Dix’s ideas still being incorporated in modern-day prisons. Like trying to improve the conditions for prisoners, but these improvements aren’t made because the prisoners are good people but because, to this day, reforming prisoners is much better than trying to punish them and then later release them into society. States allow people to get back into society in a better way by treating them as people, giving them the right to vote right after they come out from prison. These simple rights help ex-convicts seem themselves as more normal people allowing them to better fit in again with society.  This reformation process of prisoners helps these convicts become regular citizens who aren’t angry at the system that incarcerated them but rather thankful that it was able to change them into people that can do good again in society. Dix’s ideas from the start helped people back then make sure that if they were released into society it would be after they had gone through significant change rather than sending them in as murderers and releasing them as the same person who is going to go out and kill others. Prison reforms greatly benefit people in prison as it allows a fairer chance to integrate into society and be able to benefit the system that helped them get out of their own slum or whatever caused them to commit the crime. Leading to an overall betterment of society by fixing what is broken instead of ignoring the problem and pretending it doesn’t exist.

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Perspectives and reactions to the movement - What were the varying perspectives on/reactions to this topic in the period from the 1820s-1870.  

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Perspectives and reactions to the movement - What were the varying perspectives on/reactions to this topic in the period from the 1820s-1870.  

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There are many perspectives on the prison reforms across the country. Some people thought that the prisons needed to change mostly the upper middle to upper class were in favor of the prison reforms as a part of broader support for social reforms and humanitarian movements. Other groups like the protestant revivalists believed that prisons should be a place of rehabilitation rather than a place for punishment. Also, the Quakers shaped by their religious beliefs in human dignity, moral reformation, and nonviolence thought that prisons needed reforms. They helped establish the Eastern State Penitentiary in 1829 which promoted turning to religion and solitary confinement for deep reflection. Others thought that the harsh treatment in the prisons was a way to deter people from committing crimes. Southern plantation owners saw harsh prison treatment for the enslaved population as a means of maintaining social order. African Americans where often faced discrimination in their sentencing, abuse by guards and mostly ignored, and little to no improvements were made due to systematic racism. Some factory owners disliked the reforms because prison labor was cheap and easy. Women like Josephine Shaw Lowell pushed for better conditions in prisons and the separation of men and women in prisons which at the time were not around. Another group that needed reform in the prison system was kids. Kids who committed crimes were often just put into prisons with adults and people began to push for separate prisons similar to the movement for women. The poor population saw the prison system as a way for the elites to oppress and control them. People thought this because prison sentences were harsh for property crimes that were often associated with poverty, while the wealthy were not susceptible to being charged with it.

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Impact - What was the impact of this topic on different groups of Americans in the period from the 1820s-1870? 

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Impact - What was the impact of this topic on different groups of Americans in the period from the 1820s-1870? 

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This movement shifted the mindset of society towards them, as they thought of them with a different respect and understood how they are still people with rights. Therefore, the mental health of prisoners improved and they were able to improve their lives for the future as they were taken care of in prison. For others it improved how their lives were in general. Many African Americans were in jail during this time so this helped. They were often “thrown to the side” as they still were given cruel punishment even if the prisons were becoming better and more humane. This parallels the abolition of slavery as many people/reformers saw the same kind of treatment with prisoners as slaves. The similarities of these two movements pinpointed how urgent it was for African Americans to receive rights and become human beings in society instead of being treated like complete outcasts. This all boosted the civil rights movement for African Americans along with the Prison Reform. For females, their special and more unique needs were finally recognized as they were able to get what they needed to be right and healthy instead of being thrown in the cell with everyone else. Finally, there was discrimination still happening with ethnic groups, mainly the Irish and Germans. While others were doing fine, these groups were still dealing with discrimination very often and still being treated poorly. Then, juvenile prisoners were being separated from other groups which helped them also get their needs met and treated differently due to their age. In the end, many were able to get what they needed although there were some issues, many were treated better and given more respect in prison.

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Memorial to the Legislature of Massachusetts, 1843. Open Library,

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Dorothea Dix wrote to the Legislature of Massachusetts 1843 where she describes the atrocious conditions of prisons and the time and pushes for reforms based on the issues that need to be addressed. Even though all of these issues might not have been solved right away she influenced many improvements for future prisons whose impacts we can see to this day.

Top Trends in Criminal Legal Reform 2024

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Dorothea Dix

Advocated for separating the mentally ill from criminals

Pushed for humane treatment and better funding

Exposed horrible conditions in *asylums and *prisons

Fought for government funding to improve mental health institutions

Louis Dwight

Promoted the *Auburn System

Founded the Boston Prison Discipline Society

Moral reform and religious conversion for prisoners

Developed *Silent System

Led small protests to advocate for improvement in prisons

Pushed for less cruel punishment and rehabilitation

Zebulon Brockway

Prison *Rehabilitation through education

Established *Vocational Training programs for prisoners

Assisted with the *Parole system to give second chances to prisoners

Focused on juvenile rehabilitation to reform young offenders rather than cruel punishments

Emphasized teaching life and trade skills for opportunities after prison

Separate prisoners by age and gender for safety and peace

Thomas Grimké

Prison discipline and moral improvement

Use of the legal system for justice and fairness

Encouraged strict but humane discipline in prisons

Influenced by *Enlightenment ideas on human rights

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Thomas Grimke was an activist for the Prison Reform and in this specific document, he addresses Louis Dwight who is another activist and expresses his thoughts on imprisonment over debt. He states how people should not be imprisoned over this which shows another way that people were being put in prison for unnecessary reasons. This letter helped exclaim the need for change and was one of many documents that helped push the movement along and look at people for who they truly are and not just on one action.

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Dorothea Dix focused on improving conditions for convicts as she saw that it was better to reform rather than to punish people. We see how states still follow this idea of reform by trying to help prisoners in Michigan by allowing very weak individuals could go out but with an ankle monitor. Showing how they try to treat people in a more individual manure by catering different sentences to people who have different needs. Dix’s influence is also seen in states removing a 2 year wait for people to vote after they come out of prison. Which again helps people reform better and fit into society, instead of feeling left out and behind. All of these things help improve transitions for people coming out of prisons.

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This letter from Grimké shows his perspective on how imprisonment because of debt should work. He thought that people should not be imprisoned because of their debt. He thought that a system where imprisonment due to debt disadvantaged poor people. He viewed this system of imprisonment of the poor as a way of keeping the poor down and continuing the poverty cycle. It continues the poverty cycle by not letting the poor people work to pay off their debts, and it also sinks the families that rely on these people for support. This article can also show the perspective of the rich creditor who is fighting to keep imprisoning people for debt. A wealthy banker may think that people will work harder to pay off their debts if they are trying to avoid jail. Also, it was a common belief that these debtor's prisons were needed to enforce financial responsibility and deter financially reckless decisions.

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Grimke, along with many others was not only to help those in prison at the time but made a significant influence even up to today with how prisoners were treated. He was one of the people who took action against treatment that was morally wrong. He changed how people were seen in prison and how they should be given another chance. Although this document only talks about imprisonment on debt he also helped with minorities and how they should get fair treatment too. When he helped people in prison he helped African Americans in particular as they were also fighting for their rights. Doing this at the same time the abolitionist movement was going on was massive as it tremendously helped their case with natural rights and being treated fairly. During that time it helped African Americans with their cause for civil rights and it still carries on today with how they are treated. Even though his case for improvement of prison and helping people gain their rights while in prison seemed prominent then, we are truly able to see the full effect of it in today's day and age. In the whole world and mostly the USA, African Americans and many minorities are treated much better than in the past and have been granted many more rights. Prison reforms and its leaders have helped with just that, they saw what was wrong with eh treatment of prisoners but also the treatment of minority groups and they decided to make a change in order to keep up with what it right and human for all people.

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Asylums - Institutions to care for individuals with mental illnesses

Prisons - Facilities where criminals are confined

Auburn System - A prison system where inmates silently work together during the day but are housed separately at night

Silent System - A strict rule in prisons where inmates can work together without speaking

Rehabilitation - Process of restoring someone to a better condition during and after imprisonment

Vocational Training - Education that teaches job-specific skills

Parole System - Release of prisoners with supervision before completing their entire sentence

Enlightenment - A philosophical movement focusing on fairness, reason, and justice in society

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The development of prisons in the 19th century used architectural techniques to create improved and protected prisons across the US. Here is the State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, with fascinating structures and walls surrounding the main prison chambers. ("19th Century Prison Reform Collection." Cornell University Library)

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This is an article from Josephine Shaw Lowell which states her concerns with the overcrowded and mixed-gender penitentiaries at the end of the 19th Century. (Enos Thompson Throop. Papers, #1157. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.)

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Dorothea Dix fought for change in structure and the goals of prisons across the United States. This address in 1847 displays her heroic leadership and pioneering for future generations. (Dix, Dorothea. Memorial of Miss D.L. Dix, : Relation to the Illinois Penitentiary.)

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1847 For the General Assembly of the state of Illinois 

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1847 For the General Assembly of the state of Illinois 

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Similar to the address in 1843 but this one was much more broad in terms of the issues it hoped to address. Dix made it clear that this was no longer a single state issue but rather a national one that needed to get resolved. Many problems that she stated before still come up. Many of the people who were mentally ill also had debt and since mental illness wasn't treated or understood it left those groups even more vulnerable.