prison

Set on a rocky island in San Francisco Bay, and surrounded by cold sea and strong currents, Alcatraz was a prison from which escape was virtually impossible. Former inmates included Al Capone and the ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’. The building is now empty of prisoners and is run as a tourist attraction.

Cells within Alcatraz Prison, California, USA. Alcatraz, situated on an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, is arguably the most notorious prison in the world. Isolated and formidable, it has inspired numerous films and books about daring escapes. The prison has been closed since 1963, and Alcatraz is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area.

Place of confinement for those accused or convicted of contravening the laws of the state; after conviction, most countries claim to aim also at rehabilitation and deterrence as well as punishment. For major crimes, life imprisonment (or death in some countries or US states; see capital punishment) may be the sentence.

Experiments have been made in the UK and elsewhere in ‘open prisons’ without bars, which included releasing prisoners in the final stages of their sentence to work in ordinary jobs outside the prison, and the provision of aftercare on release. Prison overcrowding and spiralling costs have led to recent experiments with non-custodial sentences. Prison populations rose steadily in the UK at the beginning of the 21st century, partly due to harsher sentencing for minor offences. In the USA, parole and probation programmes exist, and ‘work-release’ furlough programmes allow convicts to work outside the prison or make family visits during their sentences.

Overcrowding The prison population in the US rose dramatically in the 1980s as stronger drug laws were passed and longer sentences imposed in that area. One result has been massive overcrowding, and several states are under court order not to exceed a specified number of prisoners. In some cases this means that a current prisoner must be released, often after serving only a fraction of the sentence, to make room for a new arrival. A bill passed in 1994 allocated $79 billion to building more prisons. The US prison population reached an estimated 2 million in 2000, compared with 1 million at the start of the 1990s.

Development of US prisons Loss of liberty was seen from the beginning as a punishment in the US. Prior to the late 18th century, prisons were viewed as a temporary restriction before exile, execution, or flogging was imposed as punishment. The US Constitution prohibited ‘cruel or unusual punishment,’ ending many of these methods of punishment; the isolated prison then came to be viewed as an institution in which discipline might be instilled and temptation removed. The system developed in 1817 in Auburn, New York (to confine prisoners at night but require them to work during the day), was widely emulated because the use of prisoner labor reduced the costs, and, it was hoped, inculcated respect for authority.

The modern system pursues rehabilitation as its goal by providing work (for pay), training, education, counseling, and the prospect of early release through the parole and probation systems. However, the high recidivism rates suggest that these programs do little to counter the background causes of criminal behavior.