A brief history of prisons. | Ashley Rubin | TEDxMississauga
TLDRThis script recounts the speaker's childhood fascination with crime and punishment, sparked by a local tragedy. It delves into the historical emergence of prisons around 230 years ago, challenging the notion that incarceration is a natural or ancient response to crime. The speaker explores early prison experiments, their controversies, and the societal shift from questioning the concept of prisons to accepting them as a norm. The narrative concludes with a reflection on the current state of mass incarceration and a call to reconsider our reliance on prisons as a form of punishment.
Takeaways
- 😔 The script recounts the story of Polly Klass, whose kidnapping and murder influenced the passage of California's three strikes law, reflecting the emotional impact of crime on society and policy.
- 🙏 The speaker's childhood prayers for criminals to go to prison suggests a deep-seated cultural belief in incarceration as a solution to crime, despite its relatively recent historical emergence.
- 🏛 Prisons as we know them today are a relatively new concept, only about 230 years old, originating around the time of the American and French Revolutions.
- 🚫 Traditional forms of punishment, such as public executions and physical mutilations, were common before the advent of prisons, indicating a shift in societal attitudes towards punishment.
- 🔒 The difference between jails and prisons is highlighted, with jails serving as short-term holding facilities and prisons as long-term confinement for punishment.
- 🤔 Early prisons faced significant skepticism regarding their cost, humanity, and effectiveness in reducing crime, reflecting ongoing debates about the purpose and value of incarceration.
- 🛠 The script discusses the failed experiments with total solitary confinement in early prisons, which led to mental and physical health issues among inmates.
- 🔄 Despite the early failures and controversies, prisons persisted, with modifications such as the Auburn and Pennsylvania systems, which introduced different forms of solitary confinement.
- 📚 Charles Dickens' criticism of Eastern State Penitentiary's solitary confinement highlights the ongoing ethical debates about the treatment of prisoners.
- 🏗️ Over time, society's focus shifted from questioning the existence of prisons to improving prison conditions and policies, indicating a normalization of incarceration.
- 🔄 The script concludes by posing a modern question about the necessity of prisons, suggesting that it may be time to consider alternatives to the current system of incarceration.
Q & A
What was the significant event that influenced the speaker's early thoughts on crime?
-The kidnapping and murder of Polly Klass, a girl who was taken from her bedroom window and later found murdered, had a profound impact on the speaker when they were a child.
What was the outcome of Polly Klass's murder in terms of legislation?
-Polly Klass's murder led to California voters passing the nation's harshest three-strikes law, which mandated long prison sentences for repeat offenders.
What was unusual about the speaker's childhood prayer routine?
-The speaker found it strange that as a child, they prayed for bad people to go to prison, which was an unusual focus for a prayer, especially for a child.
Why did the speaker choose to study criminal punishment in college?
-The speaker's interest in crime and punishment was sparked by the events surrounding Polly Klass's murder and their personal childhood experiences, leading them to study the subject in college.
What is the speaker's profession and how does it relate to their childhood interest in crime?
-The speaker is a college professor who studies prisons throughout history, which is a direct continuation of their childhood interest in crime and punishment.
How long ago did prisons emerge as a form of punishment?
-Prisons emerged as a form of punishment about 230 years ago, around the time of the American and French Revolutions.
What is the primary difference between jails and prisons according to the script?
-Jails are holding tanks not meant for punishment and usually house a mix of people for short periods, while prisons are designed for long-term confinement and punishment of convicted criminals.
What were the common forms of punishment before the rise of prisons?
-Before prisons, common forms of punishment included capital punishment, public and painful punishments like whipping, cutting off an ear, branding, and the use of the pillory.
What were some of the early concerns about the implementation of prisons?
-Early concerns about prisons included their expense, the potential inhumanity of long-term confinement, and doubts about their effectiveness in reducing crime.
What was the Auburn System and how did it differ from the Pennsylvania System?
-The Auburn System involved prisoners working together silently in large rooms during the day while being kept in solitary confinement at night. In contrast, the Pennsylvania System kept prisoners in solitary confinement around the clock, with occasional visits and work within their cells.
Why did Charles Dickens criticize Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary?
-Charles Dickens criticized the Eastern State Penitentiary for imposing acute anguish on its prisoners through the practice of constant solitary confinement, which he believed was driving them insane.
What has been the societal attitude towards prisons over time according to the speaker?
-Over time, society has become accustomed to sending people to prison and has largely stopped questioning the practice itself, focusing instead on fixing the prison system when issues arise.
What is the speaker's call to action regarding the current state of penal reform?
-The speaker suggests that it might be time to consider alternatives to prisons, rather than continuing to fix the existing system, as part of the ongoing conversation about penal reform.
Outlines
📜 The Impact of Crime and the Birth of Prisons
This paragraph recounts the narrator's early exposure to the concept of crime through the tragic story of Polly Klass, a child kidnapped and murdered near their home in California. The incident led to the implementation of the 'three strikes law' in California, emphasizing longer prison sentences for repeat offenders. The narrator's personal reflections on crime and punishment began at a young age, with nightly prayers for criminals to be imprisoned. This early interest eventually led to a career studying criminal punishment and prisons throughout history. The paragraph also reveals the relatively recent emergence of prisons as a form of punishment, challenging the common assumption that they have always been part of society's response to crime.
🏛️ The Evolution of Punishment and the Controversial Emergence of Prisons
The second paragraph delves into the historical context of punishment, contrasting the public and painful methods of the past with the development of prisons as a new form of punishment post-American Revolution. It discusses the shift away from public executions and physical punishments to the idea of long-term confinement as a means to deter crime. The paragraph highlights the initial controversy and concerns surrounding the establishment of prisons, including their cost, the potential inhumanity of confinement, and doubts about their effectiveness in reducing crime. It also touches on the failed experiments with solitary confinement and the subsequent adaptations in prison management, such as the Auburn and Pennsylvania systems, which influenced the design of future prisons.
🔒 The Normalization of Incarceration and the Call for Penal Reform
In the final paragraph, the narrator reflects on the societal acceptance and normalization of imprisonment despite its controversial beginnings and the early failures of the prison system. It discusses how the initial fears and concerns about the long-term effects of incarceration subsided over time, leading to an era of unprecedented incarceration rates in the United States. The paragraph also points out the societal focus on fixing prison systems and policies rather than questioning the fundamental concept of imprisonment. It ends with a call to consider whether the time has come for a shift in approach to penal reform, suggesting that the current focus on prison management may be due for a reevaluation in light of ongoing issues within the prison system.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Crime
💡Three Strikes Law
💡Prison
💡Incarceration
💡Capital Punishment
💡Jail
💡Penal Reform
💡Solitary Confinement
💡Auburn System
💡Eastern State Penitentiary
💡Criminal Justice System
💡Penal Reformers
Highlights
The influence of Polly Klass's murder on the creation of the three strikes law in California.
The personal impact of crime on the speaker from a young age, including unusual childhood prayers for criminals to be imprisoned.
The speaker's academic journey studying criminal punishment and the evolution of prisons.
The historical emergence of prisons around 230 years ago, coinciding with the American and French Revolutions.
The distinction between jails, which are holding facilities, and prisons, which are designed for long-term punishment.
The conditions of 18th-century English jails, including the mix of people they held and the reasons for their confinement.
The dominance of capital punishment and public, painful punishments in historical criminal justice systems.
The shift in attitudes towards public punishments and the rise of the idea of the prison as an alternative.
The controversy and concerns surrounding the establishment of the first prisons, including cost and humaneness.
The failed experiment of total solitary confinement in New York's first state prison and its abandonment due to severe health issues.
The development of the Auburn System and the Pennsylvania System, two contrasting approaches to prison management.
The mental and physical toll of solitary confinement as experienced by prisoners, despite the system's intent to reform.
The enduring scrutiny and criticism of prisons, especially the Eastern State Penitentiary's continuous solitary confinement.
Charles Dickens' critique of the Eastern State Penitentiary and his views on the psychological torment of its prisoners.
The societal acceptance and normalization of imprisonment despite its costs and the ongoing issues within prisons.
The current discourse on penal reform and the question of whether to continue fixing prisons or to seek alternative solutions.
The speaker's call to reconsider the fundamental role of prisons in society and the need for potential systemic change.
Transcripts
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