Response #15

The prison systems have come along way form the very first establishment that existed in the United States. The prisons systems were guarded by only men in the early years and have changed drastically. Women now play a huge role in the correctional facilities that are in place today. Women are now he guards of not only just women but also men. Although most women who work in the prison systems rarely work at the federal prisons, they have increased their presence within the system altogether. Women also have become incarcerated more than ever now. It used to be that men would guard the men and women would guard the women. This is no longer the case. Men will guard women prisons and cells along with the opposite. The biggest change with prisons is the treatment and compensation of prison workers. It used to be that prison workers were desperate for work and were paid very little. Now, prison workers are highly educated individuals that are very self motivated in becoming a better officer. The standards have been rising to only allow the most qualified persons to achieve the status of correction officers. The pay is also comparable to be able to create a living for them. Women have become part of this process. As the prisons have modernized, the gender of the working people has as well. As it is still noticed that women are not paid equally as men are who are performing the same job as women, there has been great movement in the system. Arizona has some of the same effects that early prisons had. Arizona needed roads to be built and constructed. Therefore, the prisoners were the one who built them. (The same as the chain gangs) Arizona also needed a new prison to house inmates due the increasing incarceration rate. Again, the prisoner who was put into the prison was the creator of the prison itself.