For thousands of years, prisons have been used to separate criminals from law-abiding citizens. Before the eighteenth century, common penalties for criminal acts included exile, execution, and various methods of corporal punishments. Jails were viewed as temporary restrictions for antisocial behavior.

U.S. Prisons

The development of prisons in the United States began in 1817 in Auburn, New York, where prisoners were used for labor. Later, in 1870, the "probation and parole" concept moved reform measures into place. Courts began to specify minimum and maximum lengths of confinement for particular offenses.

At that time, the U.S. military owned a prison on Alcatraz Island in California's San Francisco Bay. Over many years a myriad of men were incarcerated on Alcatraz, including Civil War prisoners, Indians, Spanish-American War prisoners, and army incorrigibles. By 1911 the military had constructed the present prison building...