In this chapter, we examined the field of incarcerated corrections, outlining the goals, ideologies, and U.S. historical context of punishment. This chapter also explored the emergence of prisons and jails in the U.S. and how the design structure and supervision styles of these facilities have differed over time. A snapshot of incarcerated populations, facility levels, and governance between jails, state prisons, federal facilities, and privatized prisons was provided. Finally, this chapter reviewed career challenges for those interested in learning more about corrections officer professions.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze where the basic concept of punishment comes from and compare the different ideologies of why and how people are punished.
2. Relate global ideas around punishment to the emergence of prisons and jails in the U.S.
3. Compare the design structure and supervision style of facilities.
4. Describe differences in incarcerated populations, facility levels, and governance between jails, state prisons, federal facilities, and privatized institutions.

Review of Key Terms

• Correctional facility: Secure buildings that are used to house or incarcerate individuals accused of or convicted of criminal offenses.
• Corrections officer: A sworn-officer trained and certified by the state and tasked with everything from maintaining the daily routine and safety and security of the facility and individuals housing within it to role modeling and mentoring those in their care.
• Criminogenic needs: items that, when changed, can lower an individual’s risk of offending.
• Deterrence: The goal is to discourage individuals from offending by imposing punishment sanctions or threatening such sanctions.
• Facility design-linear: Jails that are built with space efficiency in mind. Made up of long hallways with cells lining the massive corridors, they hold numerous individuals in a small area of space.
• Facility design-podular: Jails that are built with more of a communal living feel. Multiple cells face toward a central living space, allowing an officer to be in the middle of the unit and see the majority of the occupants of the cells around them.
• Incapacitation: The removal of an individual from society for a set amount of time so they cannot commit crimes.
• Jail: A place in which individuals accused or convicted of crimes are held.
• Prison: A place in which individuals convicted of felony crimes are held.
• Punishment: A penalty imposed on an individual convicted of a crime or law violation.
• Rehabilitation: The ideology of helping individuals who have committed crimes change their behavior through interventions, treatment, therapy, education, and training in order to help them reenter society.
• Retribution: Punishment which is imposed on a person as revenge or vengeance for a criminal act and the only backward-looking philosophy of punishment.
• Supervision style-direct: Requires an officer to be stationed within the living unit, working with the individuals housed in it, without any barriers.
• Supervision style-indirect: Officers are stationed in a control room or away from the unit, separate from where those housed in the unit are.

Self-Comprehension Check

Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion

“Conclusion” is adapted from “8: Corrections” by David Carter in SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System by Alison S. Burke, David Carter, Brian Fedorek, Tiffany Morey, Lore Rutz-Burri, and Shanell Sanchez, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Modifications by Megan Gonzalez, revisions by Roxie Supplee, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 include editing for recency and brevity.