Up to this point, we have spent much time on understanding crime, how it is policed, and how it is prosecuted in the courts. This section will cover the last third of the justice system, corrections. This section will focus on a brief history of corrections, to include the philosophical underpinnings of why and how we punish people. After reading this section, students will be able to:

• Understand where the basic concept of punishment comes from
• Recognize the different ideologies of why and how people are punished
• Understand how punishment has evolved in the world, and how that has shaped punishment in the United States