Emergence and development of imprisonment during modernization

In this study, the effects of modernization on emergence and development of imprisonment have been analyzed. Starting with 1600s, modernization is a period in which industrialization accelerated, convergence to capitalism just started and radical transformations were taking place on the fields of art and culture until 1900s. During this period, the conception of "human" gained an importance, there was a strong belief in a better future, being scientific became a central value, and the notion of "discipline" found a place for itself and was pervading all spheres of life. This was due to the enlightenment thinking that was constituting intellectual aspects of modernization and bringing its rationalistic and optimistic characteristics into modernity. During this process, together with the influence of above-mentioned features of modernity, penalties fastening on criminal's body through physical violence in a performative way started to be abandoned. Instead, penalty of imprisonment practicing behind closed doors emerged as the main type of punishment in a very short time period fastening on prisoner's soul by constant surveillance mechanisms. Putting its quick acceptance as the main way of punishment to one side, imprisonment comes with its criticisms continuing even today. When one considers such criticisms, it can be seen that prison sentences cannot be accepted as humane in terms of its total or partial deprivation of rights and liberties of criminals. In addition to this, their public cost expenditures is pretty high too. So, it is clear that this type of a punishment is not able to fulfill even the punishment's main function of individual and social prevention by its controversial positions in the discussions of humanity and public cost. Key Words: Modernization, Punishment, Prison, Prison Sentence