The Auburn prison system, developed in the early 19th century, emphasized a model of congregate labor and silence, allowing inmates to work together during the day while remaining isolated at night. This approach aimed to reduce the costs of incarceration through productive labor and foster discipline among inmates. Additionally, the focus on strict routines and moral instruction was believed to promote rehabilitation. The system also enabled better surveillance and control of prisoners compared to earlier solitary confinement models.
Mass Prison Era
The Auburn System is not a single prison, but a model or theory upon which a prison is planned or run. The Auburn System used the old Quaker idea of solitary confinement (Walnut Street Jail after the 1790 addition) and brought the prisoners into a common area for work assignments. It was an adaptation of the Pennsylvania System, (Eastern and Western States Penitentiaries built in 1829) which kept prisoners in their own cell to do work. The influence of the Auburn System is seen in just about any prison industry system.
New York's Auburn Prison.
It was an experiment in solitary confinement in prisons. This was an experiment in the Mass Prison Era of 1825-1876. Solitary Confinement was the basis for the Pennsylvania System and the Auburn System was what put an end to the Pennsylvania system.
He was electrocuted at Auburn State Prison, Auburn, NY.
The Auburn system was known as the congregate system. This prison system emphasized inmate labor and strict discipline, with prisoners kept in individual cells at night but working and eating together during the day in silence.
Auburn ny
William Kemmler at Auburn Prison in New York on 6 August 1890.
Two 19th-century prison systems include the Auburn system (also known as the "silent system" or "Congregate System") and the Pennsylvania system (also known as the "separate system" or "solitary confinement"). The Auburn system emphasized congregate work during the day while the Pennsylvania system focused on isolating inmates in individual cells at all times. These approaches were developed to instill discipline and foster rehabilitation through different means of controlling and monitoring prisoners.
The primary early prison designs in America were the Pennsylvania System and the Auburn System. The Pennsylvania System, exemplified by the Eastern State Penitentiary, emphasized solitary confinement and rehabilitation through isolation. In contrast, the Auburn System, developed in New York, focused on congregate work during the day with strict silence at all times, promoting discipline and labor as means of reform. These designs reflected differing philosophies on punishment and rehabilitation in the 19th century.
The Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania was an early prison that was based on the philosophy of the congregate and silent system. Inmates were kept in isolation during the day and only brought together for work and religious activities. The goal was to encourage reflection and penitence through solitary confinement.
In the 1820's, two variants, the Pennsylvania System and the Auburn System competed for the role of best in the handling of the incarcerated in the US. The silent method of the Pennsylvania System required absolute silence, total lock down in a solitary environment and produced mental problems at a rapid rate. It was espoused by the Quakers who felt that prisoners would be rehabilitated by that system. The Auburn System was seen as more cost effective because it mandated labor which offset the cost of housing. Auburn introduced striped uniforms, the lockstep and harsh punishment for minor infractions. In truth, neither created a model prisoner or one that rehabilitated. The competition continues today between those that believe in long sentences and those that want reform.