Elmira Correctional Facility
Encyclopedia
Elmira Correctional Facility, known otherwise as "the Hill", is a maximum security prison
located in New York
in the USA. The prison is located in Chemung County, New York
in the City of Elmira
. The ultra-maximum-security prison, Southport Correctional Facility
is located 2 miles away from Elmira.
The prison, which officially received its first prisoners from Auburn Prison
in July 1876, began a new era in the science of penology
as the first "reformatory". The harsh methods of the "Auburn
" and "Philadelphia System
s" including corporal punishment
, striped uniforms and lockstep marching were rejected along with the earlier reforms fostered by the Quakers in Pennsylvania
. Under its warden Zebulon Brockway
, imprisonment was designed to reform each inmate by an individualized program. Brockway rejected pointless hard labor, a regime of silence, religious and morality lectures, and strict obedience enforced by brutality.
Influenced by the methods of Walter Crofton's "Irish system" as well as Alexander Maconochie's
experiments in Australian penal colonies, discipline was largely patterned after military academies as inmates would be dressed in military style uniforms often marching to the tune of a fife
and bugle band.
Inmates would be classified by three "grades" with newly arriving prisoners being placed at second grade for their first six months. Those becoming the most responsive and cooperative prisoners earned a first grade, with the opportunity to earn additional privileges or "marks" including earning a reduction of their sentences or being granted parole (although inmates could be demoted if failing in their duties), while those less responsive to rehabilitation or inmates with behavioral problems were placed at third grade.
However, under instituted indeterminate sentencing, tension was often high among the general population as prisoners were rarely informed how long the terms of their imprisonment lasted. Brockway's later use of corporal punishment, whose "Paddler Brockway" system would eventually result in the transfer of several prisoners to mental asylums, causing some to question the success of the reformatory system.
Still, the Elmira system was influential in prison reform. Two central ideas emerged from the Elmira system: differentiating between juvenile and adult offenders, and acknowledging the possibility of prisoner rehabilitation.
However, following Brockway's resignation, the reformatory reinstituted to standard custody and treatment methods and eventually converted to the Elmira Correctional and Reception Center, an adult maximum security prison holding approximately 1800 inmates.
Timothy Vail escaped by digging through the roof of his cell but was later captured and placed in solitary confinement. In the late 1970s through late 1980s Elmira and Corning Community College had a partnership whereby college professors would volunteer to lecture behind the prison walls. This allowed inmates to get an associates degree. However, during the recession of 1990-1992 there was a public outcry over spending taxpayer money to educate felons while many middle class families struggled with paying the college tuition of their own children. As a result, the program was cut. There were attempts to revive the program in later years but by the time George Pataki, the former GOP governor finished his budget cuts the program was completely erased from memory.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
located in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the USA. The prison is located in Chemung County, New York
Chemung County, New York
Chemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Chemung County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,830. Its name is derived from the name of a Delaware Indian village . Its...
in the City of Elmira
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
. The ultra-maximum-security prison, Southport Correctional Facility
Southport Correctional Facility
The Southport Correctional Facility is an ultra-maximum-security, or "supermax," prison in New York State, USA. It is located in the town of Southport, New York, in upstate Chemung County....
is located 2 miles away from Elmira.
Early years
The New York state legislature voted to build a new prison on the site of the former prison camp for first time offenders between the ages of 16-30.The prison, which officially received its first prisoners from Auburn Prison
Auburn Prison
Auburn Correctional Facility is a state prison located on State Street in Auburn, New York, built on land that was once a Cayuga Indian Village. It is classified as a maximum security facility....
in July 1876, began a new era in the science of penology
Penology
Penology is a section of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress criminal activities, and satisfy public opinion via an appropriate treatment regime for persons convicted of criminal offenses.The Oxford English Dictionary defines...
as the first "reformatory". The harsh methods of the "Auburn
Auburn system
The Auburn system is a penal method of the 19th century in which persons worked during the day in groups and were kept in solitary confinement at night, with enforced silence at all times...
" and "Philadelphia System
Philadelphia System
The Philadelphia System was a penal system that put solitary prisoners into cells to contemplate their misdeeds and to plot a new life. The results of such solitary confinement included few reformations and numerous attempts at suicide. Pennsylvania built prisons at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia...
s" including corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
, striped uniforms and lockstep marching were rejected along with the earlier reforms fostered by the Quakers in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Under its warden Zebulon Brockway
Zebulon Brockway
Zebulon Reed Brockway was a penologist and is sometimes regarded as the "Father of prison reform" in the United States.Brockway was born in Lyme, Connecticut in 1828 and began his career as a prison guard at the state prison in Wethersfield, Connecticut at age 20. Brockway became a clerk at the...
, imprisonment was designed to reform each inmate by an individualized program. Brockway rejected pointless hard labor, a regime of silence, religious and morality lectures, and strict obedience enforced by brutality.
Elmira system
Among the programs begun at the reformatory included courses in ethics and religion, vocational training in various trades and extracurricular activities such as a prison band, newspaper and various athletic leagues.Influenced by the methods of Walter Crofton's "Irish system" as well as Alexander Maconochie's
Alexander Maconochie (penal reformer)
Alexander Maconochie was a Scottish naval officer, geographer, and penal reformer.- Early life :Maconochie was born in Edinburgh on 11 February 1787. He joined the Royal Navy in 1803 and as a midshipman he saw active service in the Napoleonic Wars and was a prisoner of war from 1811 to 1814...
experiments in Australian penal colonies, discipline was largely patterned after military academies as inmates would be dressed in military style uniforms often marching to the tune of a fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
and bugle band.
Inmates would be classified by three "grades" with newly arriving prisoners being placed at second grade for their first six months. Those becoming the most responsive and cooperative prisoners earned a first grade, with the opportunity to earn additional privileges or "marks" including earning a reduction of their sentences or being granted parole (although inmates could be demoted if failing in their duties), while those less responsive to rehabilitation or inmates with behavioral problems were placed at third grade.
However, under instituted indeterminate sentencing, tension was often high among the general population as prisoners were rarely informed how long the terms of their imprisonment lasted. Brockway's later use of corporal punishment, whose "Paddler Brockway" system would eventually result in the transfer of several prisoners to mental asylums, causing some to question the success of the reformatory system.
Still, the Elmira system was influential in prison reform. Two central ideas emerged from the Elmira system: differentiating between juvenile and adult offenders, and acknowledging the possibility of prisoner rehabilitation.
Later years
Despite its mixed results, the Elmira Reformatory would influence the construction of 25 reformatories in twelves states over the next 25 years, reaching its height in 1910. Although the education programs introduced in Elmira served as the first to serve inmates in a correction facility, the majority of the teaching staff were often unqualified and its complex grading system made progress difficult to maintain. Eventually, all well behaved inmates were placed in first grade with a few in second grade and those under punishment in third grade.However, following Brockway's resignation, the reformatory reinstituted to standard custody and treatment methods and eventually converted to the Elmira Correctional and Reception Center, an adult maximum security prison holding approximately 1800 inmates.
Timothy Vail escaped by digging through the roof of his cell but was later captured and placed in solitary confinement. In the late 1970s through late 1980s Elmira and Corning Community College had a partnership whereby college professors would volunteer to lecture behind the prison walls. This allowed inmates to get an associates degree. However, during the recession of 1990-1992 there was a public outcry over spending taxpayer money to educate felons while many middle class families struggled with paying the college tuition of their own children. As a result, the program was cut. There were attempts to revive the program in later years but by the time George Pataki, the former GOP governor finished his budget cuts the program was completely erased from memory.