Social Reform

In nineteenth century America, social reform movements sought to change the social and political views of marginalized groups of people, those who were thought of as insignificant in the eyes of society (“Definition of Social Reform”). Social reform movements involve these insignificant groups, and the activists that dedicate time and effort to change political policy, an approach adopted by the nation’s government, while bringing public awareness to the issue through forms of public protests, and media. Reform movements, predominantly make subtle changes to particular characteristics of society to improve the quality of the situation that many marginalized groups are in. When a subtle social reform movement is ineffective, a more assertive
Among the many types of social reform movements in the nineteenth century, prison and asylum reform began with the need for a change, an attempt to improve the conditions inside prisons, establishing an overall more effective penal system. American prison and asylum reform, characterized by the complete change of correctional facilities, the activists and organizations that supported the system, and the primary systems of prison reform, allowed for the success of the prison reform movement, and paved the way for the American prison and asylum system
The earliest prisons were local jails, used as holding facilities for those awaiting trial. Imprisonment wasn't seen as a punishment, but instead the step that came before punishment. When a person was convicted, instead of imprisonment, they were executed, fined, tortured, or banished. Beginning in 1682, places like Pennsylvania and New York began to use imprisonment as punishment for criminal offenders (McAfee and Smith). Death penalty and other harsh forms of punishment were only allowed for severe cases such as murder. Punishment for other crimes consisted of imprisonment, fines, and labor in correctional institutions. By the late seventeen-hundreds, prisons were in a ruinous state for all those involved, specifically the convicts. The sole purpose of prison was detention, and no attempts of rehabilitation were made (“Evolution of NY’s Prison System”). While long-term confinement was considered an improvement over the old system of harsh punishment and execution, prisons were dangerous places where the inmates were tortured and forced to insanity through poor treatment, living conditions, and excessive punishment. However, this changed in the early nineteenth century, two new concepts of imprisonment were introduced in New York and Pennsylvania, stating how the structures should be operated, and what they should look like. These concepts resulted in the reformation of entire prisons. They were no longer