This controversial documentary traces the often brutal history of criminal punishment from the medieval era through today. Early lithographs show in shocking detail the excessive punishments applied in premodern times for minor crimes. We see how more humane attitudes toward punishment led to the construction of prisons. Featured in this program is the CCI penitentiary in South Carolina. There, prison officials discuss the difficulties involved in running a large penal institution. Prisoners and corrections officers provide insights into daily life at the prison and talk about the overall failure of current rehabilitation efforts. This is an excellent portrait of criminal punishment as it was, and where it stands today. (30 minutes)

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Central Correctional Institution (05:07) The Central Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina is the state’s oldest prison. South Carolina has the most prisoners per capita. America has the most prisoners in the world. Penal Codes and Punishments (03:23) Central Correctional Institution reflects two centuries of changing penal codes and values and is based on a European system. It is used to oppress the working class, especially in the South. History of Penitentiaries (04:19) Reform began in 1797 due to South Carolina’s neglected jails and unfair punishment practices. Penitentiaries in Europe were a place to do penance. In America they were poorly run. History of South Carolina Penal System (04:22) The Civil War ended slavery and plantation justice. South Carolina was the last to establish a state system. Reformists and pragmatists stressed rehabilitation. Granite is used to build the prison. Business Aspect of Penitentiary (02:55) CCI opened on April 18, 1867. The prisoners were segregated, and successful operation overrode rehabilitation. It provided cheap prison labor to private industry until the Hawes-Cooper Act. Punishments at the Penitentiary (03:49) Hangings were a typical form of punishment. “Old Sparky” was the electric chair first used in 1912 at CCI. Paul Jeter, a 27-year inmate for stealing, carried corpses from the chair to the cooling table. Reform at Central Correctional Institution (03:52) The most dramatic period of change at CCI came in 1958 when Ellis McDougal became deputy warden. He eliminated segregation and gambling. He improved education and recreation programs.