Prisons are called all those constructions designed to house people who have been proven to have committed a crime, and therefore, being considered criminals, represent a danger to society. The purpose of this class of constructions is to keep confined those who do not comply with the laws imposed by society, so they must receive some kind of sanction or punishment for such a situation.
The first prisons were built during the 19th century, they were places for the custody of the prisoner, until the execution or completion of the sentence, which varied according to the scope of the crime. In these prisons, the prisoners were punished in a cruel way, the punishments included whipping, mutilation and in some cases death.
The objective of the prison is very varied since it will depend on the times and the type of society. However, among the main objectives are to protect society from criminals, separate the accused from criminality, persuade those who wish to commit acts that go against the law, educate those deprived of liberty, in order to introduce them new to society.
Currently prisons are sites located on large grounds. The structures are divided into different areas where the cells are located where the prisoners are located, the office where the director is, and other spaces such as the visiting rooms, the dining room and the spaces where sports activities are carried out. The cells are generally small spaces that have a bed and a toilet, these cells are protected by bars with padlocks and the presence of custodial personnel who are responsible for monitoring and maintaining order within them.
There are different types of prisons: there are prisons for maximum security prisoners, there are those where minors who have committed a crime are located, there are military prisons, where only military or political prisoners are located, and Of course, there are the VIP prisons for those white-collar prisoners, where they have access to certain comforts and attention. This kind of jail is the object of much criticism from society.
It is important to highlight that the fundamental mission of a prison (in addition to punishing the offender), is to make the prisoner reflect on the actions that led him to commit the crime and re-educate him, through various activities, in order to reintegrate him into society as a good man or woman. It is regrettable that the current conditions in prisons in many countries are deplorable, this is due (mostly) to the increase in crime, which causes overcrowdingin prisons, coupled with the deterioration of their infrastructure. The lack of projects that reform the behavior of the prisoners means that once they are released, they continue to commit the same crimes.
