"This not judging others really gets me going. If, indeed, there shalt be no judging, them where do we get laws and basic rules of conduct upon which we can all be free and upon which we can count on each other?" (Schlessinger, 1997, p. 61).
            
            
            
             Counting on each other, as human beings to act and behave within society's norms is what makes a neighborhood, community, public gathering and society in general work peacefully. When someone violates those norms and disrupts the peaceful balance of trust then the process of restoration by law begins. Criminals argue that they are punished to harshly and citizens complain that offenders are not punished hard enough.
             Punishment for crimes has been around since the beginning of man in one form or another. Retribution for crimes has always been to punish the offender in order to keep them from offending again. The type of punishment formulated and employed is affected by trends in government, economics, history and social movements. The idea of deterrence has been popular since the 1700s such as branding the offenders or whipping and shaming in proportions that would outweigh the benefit of the crime. However, humanitarian movements changed the way offenders were treated, these forms of retribution were no longer acceptable, and the offender was banished to prison for their crime. Correctional movements began in the 1900s after overcrowding became a problem for the prisons and have been affected by the economy and popular trends (McShane & Krause, 1993, p7).
             Positive behavior in prison is often the determining factor of a prisoner's release. If they demonstrate a responsible and reliable pattern of behavior while incarcerated the belief is that they will perform in the same manner outside of prison. However, life in prison is different from life in society. The daily stressors encountered in society do not exist in prison, such as responsibility for their ow...