The Long and Winding Road: How Jails Came to Be in America
[The guards here believe that] the tougher, colder, and more cruel and inhuman a place is, the less chance a person will return. This is not true. The more negative experiences a person goes through, the more he turns into a violent, cruel, mean, heartless individual, I know this to be a fact
– Annonymous Prisoner, “The Trauma of Prison Rape” (Manner 130)
The prisoner described the truth of jails as he is experiencing them now, while the original Quaker intentions had something much different in mind. The Quakers, who were led under William Penn, were the first group to set up an institutionalized system in the United States that dealt with punishment. Since the original plans were developed for the prison system, the goal and intentions have been reformed time and time again. Although jails are supposed to be a place of rehabilitation, the reality is that they are actually a hotbed for spurring criminals more violent then when they were first admitted.
Before jails were even implemented in America, the colonists had quite a different approach to punishment that led to how jails came to be. The original outlook of criminals came from the Colonists religious belief that criminals were sinners who were workers of the devil. The Colonists felt they had to be protected from devil’s workforce and therefore criminals must have their name run into the ground, be cast out of the town, or in the most extreme cases be hung. Before the Colonists accepted institutions, they looked to public humiliation as a means of correcting the lesser criminals. The harsher punishments, such as death, were given to people who were believed to be beyond redemption. But, with growing populations due to industrialization of cities townspeople grew less and less known to one another. With less recognition between citizens the thought of public humiliation as a punishment was weakening as a threat. On top of that, people were beginning to grow weary that capital punishment may have been too barbaric and overall ineffective. Yet, the colonists were still not completely convinced to utilize jails. The hesitation was a result of the community feeling that most men were not salvageable and institutionalizing them would only be rewarding. Although, this conception began to unravel in the late 1600’s when the Pennsylvania Quakers came up with a plan that would eventually be accepted.
After reading the book I have gained a new understanding of what inmates think about in prison. Working in an institution, I have a certain cynical attitude at times with inmates and their requests. Working in a reception facility, this is a facility where inmates are brought in from the county jails to the state intake facility, we deal with a lot of requests and questions. At times, with the phone ringing off the hook from family members and inmates with their prison request forms, you get a little cynical and tired of answering the same questions over and over. As I read the book I begin to understand some of the reason for the questions. Inmate(s) now realize that the officers and administrative personnel are in control of their lives. They dictate with to get up in the morning, take showers, eat meals, go to classes, the need see people for different reason, when to exercise and when to go to bed. The lost of control over their lives is a new experience for some and they would like to be able to adjust to this new lost of freedom. Upon understanding this and in reading the book, I am not as cynical as I have been and try to be more patient in answering questions. So in a way I have changed some of my thinking and understanding more of prison life.
Every civilization in history has had rules, and citizens who break them. To this day governments struggle to figure out the best way to deal with their criminals in ways that help both society and those that commit the crimes. Imprisonment has historically been the popular solution. However, there are many instances in which people are sent to prison that would be better served for community service, rehab, or some other form of punishment. Prison affects more than just the prisoner; the families, friends, employers, and communities of the incarcerated also pay a price. Prison as a punishment has its pros and cons; although it may be necessary for some, it can be harmful for those who would be better suited for alternative means of punishment.
In colonial America, the court structure was quite different from that of their mother country, Great Britain. The system was a triangle of overlapping courts and common law. Common law was largely influenced by the moral code from the King James Version of the Bible, also known as moral law. In effect, these early American societies were theocratic and autocratic containing religious leaders, as well as magistrates. Sometimes these men were even one and the same. The criminal acts in colonial America were actually very similar to the crime prevalent in our society today. However, certain infractions were taken more seriously. Through the documents provided, we get a look at different crimes and their subsequent punishments in colonial
In the early years going to prison for a crime was not common. When people committed crimes, they were punished by corporal punishment, forced labor, social ostracism, and many far worse punishments. People began using imprisonment as a form of punishment after the American Revolution. In England these practice of imprisonment been taking place since the 1500s in the form of dungeons and other detention facilities. Prisons were one of the first buildings introduced in the New World. In early America prisons were not looked at like prisons are today, most crimes where punished on the spot and the person released. Most of the people that had long term sentences were people that owed debt. Other type of punishments that was used was fines, public shame, physical chastisement, and death. Misdemeanors were punishable by fines, just like some are today. The United States prison building efforts went through three waves. First the Jacksonian Era, which led to the increase use of imprisonment and rehabilitive labor as punishment for their crimes in almost all states by the time of the American Civil War. Second was the Progressive Era, which was after the civil war. The Progressive Era brought in the usage of parole, probation, and indeterminate sentencing. Third was in the early 1970s, by this time the number in prisons had increased five times.
Iago is angry because Othello chose Cassio to hold a position which he thinks he deserves, so he seeks revenge by playing upon Othello’s main flaw—his lack of trust—and putting Cassio in a position that would turn Othello against him. In the beginning of the play, as Cassio and Desdemona wait for Othello’s ship to land, he pulls her to the side to talk about Othello’s arrival. He innocently takes her hand as he speaks to her and Iago takes notice. Iago then says, “With as little a web as this I will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio” (2.1.166-167). Iago introduces his plan of revenge to us, the audience. He uses the word “web” because a web is a great representation of how his plan starts and develops. A web starts out as a single line of string and is then manipulated and entangled to form a more complex structure that cannot be undone without being destroyed. Iago does this same thing when he takes this guiltless gesture and twists a...
Robert states that it was the Americans that invented the prison. "The history of prison in America is the history of a troubled search for solutions." Before we had prisons in America, criminals where dealt with in a swift and brutal manner. Many prisoner where dealt with by corporal or capital punishment. Jails did exist in this time but they were "primarily for pretrail detention" stated Pray.
Throughout history into today, there have been many problems with our prison system. Prisons are overcrowded, underfunded, rape rates are off the charts, and we as Americans have no idea how to fix it. We need to have shorter sentences and try to rehabilitate prisoners back to where they can function in society. Many prisoners barely have a high school education and do not receive further education in jail. Guards need to pay more attention to the well being of the inmates and start to notice signs of abuse and address them. These are just a few of the many problems in our prison systems that need to be addressed.
Iago creates a mind game, using the qualities and weaknesses each character possesses. Iago’s hunger for power drives him to asute strategic acts of manipulation (Othello Essay). He plays off the emotions of Roderigo and Brabantio, mainly anger and jealousy. Once he sees a change in how they think, he obtains control over them. Iago gains control over Roderigo, who will do anything Iago tells him, because he cons him with money. Roderigo’s jealousy also reflects on how Iago was able to take advantage over him. After Iago has maxed out his use for Roderigo, he kills him. Iago starts to lure Brabantio into his mind trickery in the beginning of the play when he awakens Brabantio by yelling “Thieves! Thieves! Look at your house, your daughter, your bags” asserting him that Desdemona fled home to marry Othello in secret. Brabantio falls into Iago’s trap, and cannot merely see Othello as anything other than a beast so he responds by telling Iago that “This is Venice. My house is not a grange.” This means that he believes black people do not belong in Venice, especially in his house. Iago fools Othello, who believes Iago’s loyalty earns his place as his lieutenant, into believing his wife has an affair with Cassio. Othello’s jealousy takes over blinding him by what lies right beside him. Iago pretends to be hesitant in his accusations by replying “Nothing, my
“First and foremost you must have a GED or a High School Graduates degree in order to complete any further training. High School courses in automotive repair, mathematics and electronics provide a good background for prospective for future bosses”(Summary). “A post secondary program in automotive service technology is considered the best preparation for entry-level positions. Some get an Associate’s degree for the fact of what happens if they want to get a different job in the future” (Summary). For a person with none of these becoming a Trainee technicians/helpers, or lubrication workers also helps get the certification. 2 years of experience and a passing of an exam, along with passing all foregoing areas like light vehicle diesel engine certification may earn an ASE Master Technician status.(Summary) “Certification program includes 11 basic automotive classes. They can take advanced classes at night while working in the industry during the day if they choose” (McGee).
Othello, a play by William Shakespeare, tells the tragic tale of the black Venetian general, Othello, and how he is manipulated by his ambitious friend, Iago. Iago becomes angry at Othello when he promotes Michael Cassio rather than Iago to the lieutenancy. Iago then schemes a plot to take down Othello. Iago uses Desdemona, Othello’s new wife, to take down the great general. He leads Othello to considering that his wife is cheating on him with Michael Cassio. This causes Othello to become suspicious and eventually drives Othello into killing Desdemona. In the end, Othello learns that his wife was faithful, and Iago had lied to him. This upsets Othello and causes him to also kill himself. Iago’s many motives are never revealed to the audience or the characters as in the last scene he states, “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word.” (Othello. Act 5 Scene 2: 355-356). In the play Othello, Iago is the master manipulator that formulates devious plots against the characters of Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello by using their desires to his advantage to reveal their underlying weaknesses.
In the 19th century two different and historical prison systems came into existence. Those prisons came to be known as Eastern State Penitentiary located in Pennsylvania and New York’s Auburn Prison. Both had different ways of working and philosophy of how to treat the prisoner. I find that an advantage for the way Auburn prison worked its institute was that they would have prisoners do hard work. It was the institute’s belief that the prisoner who learned to do hard labor in prison will be compelled to do them same once out of prison. Prisoners work consisted from growing their own foods, make their own attire, etc. In the case of the Pen State the advantage where in order to prevent any violent or hostile environments in the institute, prisoners
This play is loaded with dramatic irony until the very end. The audience knows from the very beginning of the play that Iago hates Othello, and that he plans to ruin his life. Throughout the play all the major characters believe that Iago is an honest and trustworthy man, when in reality he is manipulating them to bring about the destruction of Othello. As seen in Act III when Othello and Iago are discussing Cassio, Othello say to Iago “I think thou dost; And, for I know thou 'rt full of love and honesty..." (Shakespeare 1336). This is ironic because Othello, like everyone else, thinks Iago is an honest person when in reality Iago is plotting against him (Ramadan). It shows the trust Othello mistakenly puts in his “best friend”. More irony is seen when Lodovico arrives in Cyprus and asks how Cassio is doing. Iago replies "Lives sir" (Shakespeare 1361). This line is ironic because Iago tells Lodovico that Cassio is alive, but the readers know that according to Iago’s plan, Cassio will not be alive for long. Again we see some more irony as Emilia tries to vouch for Desdemona, “If any wretch have put this in your head, let heaven requite it with the serpent’s curse! For if she be not honest, chaste, and true, there’s no man happy...” (Shakespeare 1363). This quote is ironic because Emilia is talking badly about the person that put the jealous thoughts in Othello’s head, and the ironic part is that Emilia does not know that
The methods of motivation cannot be generalized to everyone since conditions vary. For example, when you motivate employees by giving them permanent jobs that cannot work on those who are already on permanent terms hence you will use another theory. On that scenario, you can concentrate on improving the working environment or working hours. Several continuous programs can be used in improving performance. For instance, offering incentives and giving the employee an opportunity to enjoy the facilities for free like the gym. These theories can always be evaluated from time to time depending on the results observed.
The Electronics Engineering Technician program focuses on preparation of technicians for all industries that are related to electric circuits, systems and applications. People who study this program get knowledge about electronic products, control systems and telecommunications. Students learn electric circuits, technical mathematics, programming, electric machines, etc. Also, they spend 50 per cent of their time in laboratory rooms. Students get practical skills and abilities for operations with electronic, analog, digital and programmable circuits and learn how to apply these circuits in various devices (Humber College, n.d.).
The broad answer for what an electrical engineer does is to work and think to design and develop electronic equipment, parts, and systems, which can range from power lines to kitchen appliances (Career). Engineers have to utilize computer design systems to modify prototypes for products or different components of a product. They also have to calculate the costs of materials, consider efficiency, different equipment needed, as well as how much work required to create a product (Nae). This can get very difficult and requires a lot of thoughts and ideas to come up with various ways to make a product or component better or more efficient to use. One example of daily responsibilities of an electrical engineer is at MET Laboratories, where they have to test a lot of the newer equipment, as well as troubleshooting and making sure everything works properly. Along with that, they also have to modify the designs of this equipment to ensure safety as well as the efficiency of the product. Performing tests on EMC (electromagnetic capability) is also a very important responsibility of an electrical engineer at MET Laboratories (“Electrical” CareerBuilder). Being an electrical engineer is great because you are essentially getting paid for thinking and creating your own ideas and thoughts to make a product better. It is very rewarding when your ideas get implemented into a design of a product that