Prison/Hospital reform

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Prison Reform

The Aurburn system was developed and implemented during the 1820s in Auburn, New york("Auburn System | Penology.") It borrowed solitary confinment from Pennsalvania prison system, but introduced rigid discipline as well as complete silence throught the day and night. Throughtout a inmates sentence silence, obedience, and discipline was drilled into them("Prisons: History - The Auburn Plan."). The thought behind this system was to bring all the people that brought disorder to society, and isolate them then instill order into them so they could be functioningh members of society. This system was designed to rehibilate the inmates, give them a sense of responsibility,a sense of purpose, and be able to improve themselves.("Auburn State Prison | Prison, Auburn, New York, United States.")

Success and Failures

Some postive things came out of the development of the Auburn system, such as the inmates learning responsility, learning how to work in groups, as well as learning some new skills in the shops. However there was some drastic pull backs from this system as well. The constant isolation caused the prisoners to go crazy and kill themselves. Inmates also suffered from harsh working condiotion and abuse from thier guardes; overall the system was a failure because as the population of the prisons increased many of the rules the prison wanted to instill into the prisoners were not able to be meet and, the shops the prisoners worked in got shut down(Auburn Correctional Facility).

Hospital Reform(Asylums)

Along with the prison reforms fo the 1820s there was a large strive to help mentally ill people. The person that lead this movement was named Dorothea Dix. She saw how the mentally ill were being treated in prisons, and wanted to reform the system("Prison and Asylum Reform."). The idea behind this reform movement was to take the mentally ill out of normal prison, and give them medication; as well as profesional help to rehibilate them then reintroduce them into society. These reforms also made society take responsibility for the care and treatment of these people("Dorothea Lynde Dix.").

Successes/Failures

There were many successes in this refom, one of them being a large increase in the number of asylums available as well as the type of treatment they received. A personal success for Dortahea Dix was the fact that she got state legislature to help with funding for the mentally ill; however their were some failures in this refom. The biggest being the federal govement dening funding to help the mentally ill("Prison and Asylum Reform.").. This reform was largely a success with results you can see today.

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