Albany Penitentiary in the District of Columbia, housed criminals in the 1800s
During the late 1700s to the early 1800s, the New Nation experienced substantial population growth resulting in increased unemployment and poverty, and higher crime rates. One of the various ways reformers took to solve these problems of delinquent or morally corrupted individuals was to set up “penitentiaries, asylums, and houses of correction” to “restore mental health and lawful behavior”, and “infuse Christian morality”. (Chudacoff, p51) These institutions were the source of discipline and guidance for the depraved who were taught values such as restraint, diligence, and obedience. Located away from the cities and urban environment, they served as an ideal place for moral reform, and marked the very beginnings of urban welfare policies. (Chudacoff, p51)
The main group of people affected by these changes was the poor and the deviants. They were given the opportunity to undergo much needed moral reform, which was vital in order for them to become better individuals and members of the society. Even though the reformers encountered opposition who questioned their motives and pointed out that these institutions were as excuse to separate these ‘unwanted’ individuals from society, (Chudacoff, p51) these reforms not only improved the weakening morality and curbed rising crime rates but also paved the way for future rehabilitation centers and prisons, an integral part of law and order in today’s era.
