• Foucault argues that one of the main [and most important] points of the modern prison system was that of achieving ‘discipline’ and control over the bodies and minds of the offenders. • Whilst the ideas of Bentham’s panopticon were never fully implemented – clearly, the means of physical and mental control (and discipline) were. • Consider the following points taken from Foucault’s book, which explains the impact of the modern prison system developed: • “What was then being formed was a policy of coercions that act upon the body, a calculated manipulation of its elements, its gestures, its behaviour. • • The human body was entering a machinery of power that explores it, breaks it down and rearranges it. A ‘political anatomy’, which was also a ‘mechanics of power’, • • it defined how one may have a hold over others’ bodies, not only so that they may do what one wishes, but so that they may operate as one wishes, • • with the techniques, the speed and the efficiency that one determines.
173 Reflective Journal. Week 1: Aims of the criminal Justice system This week was essentially an introductory topic and provided me with a basic understanding of the aims and operations of the criminal justice system. I learned that there is a number of different steps within the criminal justice system and the involvement of all the parties involved such as police, judge and jury and the defence. According to John Champion the main purpose of the criminal justice system is to process and prosecute individuals who commit crimes against society and to deal out suitable punishments for these individuals. This is a pivotal part in terms of maintain the functioning of society and to ensure that people don’t go around breaking laws wherever and whenever they want.
The aim of the prison was to reform the prisoner through solitary confinement, religion and order. This approach was a symbolic step to civilise punishment, it was a huge development from the retributive methods of the bloody code. To evaluate the success of Pentonville, it must be measured against three factors. The first factor is the conditions for prisoners prior to Pentonville and during Pentonville. The second factor that needs to be considered is the routine the inmates faced on a day to day basis and the outcome of the rehabilitation.
That experience gave me a whole new aspect of the people behind the law. There are many ethical issues/problems in the prison system that needs to be evaluated (in my opinion). Ethical Issues/Problems #1 (Officers against Inmates) Inmates are placed with different levels of crimes. For example: Inmate Jones is doing time for murder in the 1st degree (Level-High Classified) and Inmate Smith is doing time for robbery in the 2nd degree (Level-Medium Classified). These two inmates along
Min Xiao Dr. Melissa Jacques ENGL 112-101 8 February 2013 Rhetorical Analysis of “The Caging of America” In his article in the New Yorker, Adam Gopnik introduces the current condition of the prison system in America and the increased number of the prison population. He does not simply introduce the cause of mass incarceration, but he also discusses the relationship between the mass incarceration and the crime rate. Through use of foreshadowing, compelling evidence, and an appeal to ethics, Gopnik urges people to come to realize that mass incarceration is an immoral issue that needs to be addressed. As a sophisticated writer, essayist and commentator, Gopnik utilizes a number of sources into
He starts his essay with a knowledge on the puritans justice system, and how they dealt with criminals back in the old days. By starting off so clearly on what he firmly believes in, it gives us a better understanding of what to look forward for in his essay that might support his thesis. He gives some examples of punishments that were popular over 150 years ago. Jacoby mentions about how puritans pierced tongues with a hot iron and whipping as a form of punishment. After that he talks about how now we practice a more humane way of disciplining criminals and convicts.
Punishment in the United States Correctional System Joshua Johnston CJA-234 6-1 -11 Gergory Breslin Punishment in the United States Correctional System Punishment has been a topic of many theories of punishments that have been developed of the course of time, each which attempts to justify its practice in some form and to state its objectives. “In traditional society, punishment was simply the art form of obtaining retribution, rehabilitation, incapacitation, and deterrence of those who had, or would forgo the set boundaries of social cohesion. As such, it set out the minimal standard of morality expected, and paved the way for future developments (Erickson,
Nevertheless, correctional administrators in the modern correctional facilities have been enlightened in that they recognize a broader responsibility and mission of prisons. Protecting the society from criminal acts by offenders serves as the complete mission of corrections in the U.S justice system. In order to accomplish this mission, prisons have to use a combination of strategies for surveillance and control of
However, the implementation of; Prison improvement program has made it possible for prison to preserve the basic human rights of inmates. A prison is a place that holds people who have been convicted, or found guilty, of serious crimes, although there are a number of reasons why we use imprisonment. Customary we use prison to deter those who commit crime, and also to serve as a punishment for those who commit crime. Nonetheless we also use prison to reform people in order to get them ready for reintroduction of society. The most important thing that we use prison for is to keep people in our society safe, and to offer protection.
This new form of power is known as disciplinary power. Foucault’s idea of subjectification is closely linked to the Bentham’s panpticon; a new kind of prison building in which the prisoners would be unable to know whether they were being examining or not. This notion of authoritative gaze becomes prevalent in society through different institutions. Such kind of gaze also, in a way, becomes a means of looking at ourselves. So, we become a subject of our own gaze and continuously observe our bodies.