Prison reform

Prison reform comprises efforts to change the conditions, purposes, and administration of imprisonment. It includes changes to confinement, rehabilitation, oversight, and alternatives to incarceration.

Prison conditions: The material and social circumstances of life in prison, including safety, health care, privacy, and access to basic necessities. Reforms often target overcrowding, violence, sanitation, and access to medical care.
John Howard: An English prison reformer whose 1777 book documented conditions in British and European prisons. His investigations helped make prison inspection and sanitation central reform demands.
Dorothea Dix: An American reformer who campaigned in the nineteenth century for humane treatment of people with mental illness. Her investigations documented the confinement of people with mental illness in jails and prisons.
Decarceration: The reduction of the number of people held in prisons and jails through policy or practice. It addresses overcrowding by reducing reliance on incarceration rather than only expanding facilities.
Prison overcrowding: A condition in which a prison holds more people than its designed or operational capacity can safely accommodate. Overcrowding intensifies health and safety problems that reform measures seek to relieve.
Prison oversight: Monitoring and accountability systems that examine prison operations and address misconduct or unsafe conditions. Independent inspections and complaint systems can expose abuses and enforce standards.
Elizabeth Fry: An English Quaker reformer who campaigned for humane treatment and education for imprisoned women. Her work brought public attention to women’s prison conditions and religious instruction.
Thomas Mott Osborne: An American prison reformer who promoted self-government and responsibility among incarcerated people. His work at Sing Sing tested whether participation could change prison discipline.
Probation: Court-ordered supervision in the community, often imposed instead of imprisonment. It can replace prison sentences, though broad use can also widen penal control.
Recidivism: Reoffending or renewed contact with the criminal justice system after a prior sanction or release. Reform programs are often judged by whether they reduce return to prison.

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