Shift In U.S.Prison Philosophy. The Beginning of the End of Hope for our Justice involved individuals.

1. Early U.S. Prisons (Late 1700s–1800s)

🔗Inspired by Enlightenment ideas, early prisons in Pennsylvania and New York were built around rehabilitation, reflection, and discipline.

🔗The idea was that isolation, labor, and religious study would reform people.

2. Progressive Era (1900s–1960s)

‼️Rehabilitation became the main purpose of prisons.

‼️Sentences were indeterminate (e.g., “10–20 years”) so parole boards could release people once they showed rehabilitation.

‼️Programs focused on education, vocational training, and therapy.

‼️The U.S. Supreme Court in the mid-20th century even called rehabilitation the “dominant aim” of sentencing.

3. The “Tough on Crime” Era (1970s–1990s)

🔗Rising crime rates and political pressure caused a shift toward punishment and incapacitation.

🔗Politicians claimed rehabilitation “failed” and adopted mandatory minimums, three-strikes laws, and sentencing enhancements.

🔗Truth-in-Sentencing (TIS) laws spread in the 1990s, heavily funded by the 1994 federal crime bill, which gave states money to build prisons if they made people serve 85%+ of their sentences.

⚖️ Truth-in-Sentencing in Illinois

• Illinois adopted TIS in 1998.

• It required people convicted of violent crimes to serve 100% of their sentences for murder and 85% for many other offenses.

• Before TIS, someone serving 45 years might serve 22–23 years with good time credits.

• After TIS, the same person serves nearly the full 45 years — eliminating hope, incentives for growth, and recognition of rehabilitation.

How This Abandoned the Original Purpose of Prisons

1. No More Rehabilitation

‼️Prisons became “warehouses” instead of correctional facilities.

‼️Educational, vocational, and therapeutic programs shrank since early release was no longer tied to participation.

2. Disproportionate Punishment

🔗Sentences ballooned, creating de facto life terms even for young offenders.

🔗This clashes with constitutional principles of proportionality and human dignity.

3. Destroyed Incentives

‼️With no chance of early release, incarcerated people lose motivation to rehabilitate.

‼️Families are torn apart for decades, despite rehabilitation being achieved.

4. Costly and Ineffective

🔗Illinois spends billions keeping people locked up long after they’ve reformed.

🔗Studies show TIS does not reduce recidivism or deter crime.

✅ Prisons were originally designed to rehabilitate and reintegrate people.

❌ Truth-in-Sentencing transformed them into pure punishment systems, stripping away hope and constitutional balance.