The overriding culture of a prison is established by prison leadership. The policies and procedures of a prison system are aimed to achieve the goals of punishment. From a societal standpoint, imprisonment is one of the primary ways of dispensing punishment. Therefore, prison leadership plays a vital role in meeting the goals of punishment set by the justice system.

Prisons should include sufficient punishment to meet a measurable level of deterrence, while ensuring proper programs to rehabilitate the accused. Over time, the predominant philosophy of the US prison system has changed because of political, societal, and legal or judicial influences. Moreover, prison leadership has also modified its policies and procedures to coincide with the respective philosophies in place.

Tasks:

Using the Argosy University online library resources and assigned readings, prepare a 3- to 5-page report including answers to the following:

  • From a historical perspective, how does prison leadership achieve the goals of punishment using penology theory as a framework?
  • Has the perspective of using penology theory as a framework to achieve the goals of punishment changed throughout history? Are there common themes that reoccur with the goals of prison management?