Jails
The 1st jail opened in medieval England almost 900 years ago by King Henry II in 1166. (p 71)
Jails were called ‘gaols’.
The U.S. jail is the oldest of all correctional components.
Early jail houses were in terrible condition of filth, violence, poor food and scarce medical care.
John Howard was sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773 and it was brought to his attention of the terrible sanitation and conditions of disease and lack of discipline.
Sheriff Howard came up with the Penitentiary Act of 1779, which had four main requirements of English prisons and jails.
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The act also detailed the requirements of diets, uniforms and hygiene for prisoners.
Early jails in the U.S. colonies followed English models and were used to housing inmates for trial- up to 30 inmates stayed in a large room instead of cells.
Punishment for offenders was to be fined and for those who couldn’t pay their fine was confined and forced to “work-off” their debt in a workhouse.
Workhouses and jails were to different facilities but often both were populated I jails.
In the 18th century, America adopted the concept of rehabilitation and confinement of prisoners.
The 1st prison for rehabilitation and confinement of prisoners was developed in 1790 in Philadelphia, in a wing of the Walnut St. jail.
By the end of the 19thcentury, almost every U.S. city was operating a jail facility.
Jails are full-serviced facilities that offer security, medical attention, and food service and offender programs for the inmates. (p 72)
Lock-ups are different facilities than jails; lock-ups hold people up to 48 hrs and are mostly in police stations.
There are roughly estimates 3,350 jails in the U.S. that the government oversees.
Based on the population of the areas...