Supermax Prison History

According to cite, up until the early 1800’s, actions taken towards criminals were, in general, strictly punishment. At this time, a fairly common way of being punished for a crime, from steeling to murder, was to be hanged publically. It was not until the late 1700’s and early 1800’s that prisons began to develop and be widely used. One of the largest differences that came with this century-turn was the idea that along with punishment, criminals could, and should, be rehabilitated. It was not until 1790, when the Quakers built a prison serving for both reasons, that the idea was seriously introduced in the United States. This prison, The Walnut Jail in Philadelphia, “Is considered the birthplace of the modern prison system.” (Biggs). Over
This high-intensity prison was created and built in 1994. ADX Florence was created to conceal the worst types of criminals and those who are a threat when placed with other inmates or with prison staff. One of the largest factors leading up to the creation of the prison was the murder of two guards in a prison that, at the time, had the highest level of prison security. These murders, which took place in 1983, brought urgent attention to the need for higher-intensity confinement. The need for a less-than-death but more-than-regular jail punishment also contributed to the creation of the ADX Florence.
Constitution). The ADX inmates involved in Cunningham v. Federal Bureau of Prisons used this amendment to back their claim that they were being treated unfairly in the ADX Florence supermax. Through interpretation, “The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees to every person imprisoned at ADX adequate medical care, including care for mental illnesses.” (USDC Colorado). However, this right, the convicts argued, was not being provided to those in the prisons, and they claimed that not only were preexisting mental illnesses ignored medically, but newly developed mental illnesses were also left undiagnosed. Furthermore, five of the plaintiff’s claimed to have a mental illness prior to being placed in the ADX. However, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons policies, “Prisoners with serious mental illnesses should not be assigned to ADX.” (USDC Colorado). The plaintiffs also accused ADX of giving unfair punishment to minor mishaps. ADX recognized that there were flaws in the enforcement of some principles of The Bureau of Prisons and agreed to minor negotiations, but denied any large issues within the prison system. ADX defended against the eighth amendment argument by using the claim that the inmates are aware of the rules and that it is imperative for them to follow