Many people believe that criminals who commit severe offenses must be punished equally. Although some countries still have capital punishment, the majority of states opt for more humanistic methods of correction. Moreover, severe punishment never warrants the absence of future crimes. Therefore, the modern correctional system can learn from the Eastern State and Auburn penitentiaries to provide the opportunity to reform oneself and improve the humane treatment of inmates.
The first lesson is that the prison system should not ultimately punish criminals but give them the opportunity to redeem themselves. The Eastern State Penitentiary was built on the principle of hard work and reflecting on offenses committed (BohatALA, n.d.). However, the separation of prisoners is a disadvantage of the system that should not be practiced in today’s correctional facilities. The main reason is that the inmates must stay socialized to adapt to normal life after imprisonment.
The second lesson that the contemporary correction system can learn is about humane attitudes to prisoners. This principle was taken from the Auburn Penitentiary that did not encourage the solitude of inmates (BohatALA, n.d.). Furthermore, the prisoners deserve a range of accommodations and services, just as any other citizen, which was introduced by the Quaker reformation (BohatALA, n.d.). The idea is that no one should be limited in their access to satisfying basic needs, such as sanitation or healthcare services.
In conclusion, the modern penitentiary system should be based on the principle that inmates deserve humane treatment even if they were punished for severe crimes. The Eastern State system provides beneficial practices, namely the opportunity for prisoners to reform themselves. However, the contemporary correction system should abandon the separation of inmates because it impedes socialization. Finally, the Auburn system teaches that prisoners must have basic accommodations and healthcare.
References
BohatALA. (n.d.). Comparison of Pennsylvania and Auburn prison systems. Web.