Abstract:
A brief outline of the history of jails and prisons from colonial era to mid-20th-century modernization of the state controlled prison system is presented. The first discussions about prisoner treatment began after the Revolutionary War. In 1868, major changes occurred with the General Assembly establishing a state prison and modifying the state constitution to limit death penalty crimes (arson, murder, rape, and burglary) and suspend all corporal punishment. By 1957, the State Prison Department was created to deal with all prisoner related matters.