The History of the American Prison 1790 to Present  

Joseph Moran

10:00 – 11:30 AM, Friday, October 27

Every country has prisons, but the US leads the world in total number of people incarcerated, with more than 2 million prisoners nationwide (World Prison Brief, 2021). This leads to an incarceration rate of 629 people per 100,000—the highest rate in the world. How did our country get to this point? This class will address the evolution of the American prison system—its history, goals, and effectiveness.

Joseph Moran has an M.A. in Criminology from BGSU and taught at Lourdes University for 20 years, primarily Criminology and Penology. Joe retired from the Toledo Municipal Court Probation Department where he was a supervisor and briefly served as chief probation officer. In retirement, Joe has worked as a chemical dependency counselor at the Lucas County Correctional Center (jail) and serves as treasurer of the non-profit Toledoans for Prison Awareness.

Main Lifelong Learning webpage: https://www.lourdes.edu/about-lourdes-2/outreach/lifelong-learning-program/classes/

Class Brochure: https://www.lourdes.edu/about-lourdes-2/outreach/lifelong-learning-program/classes/

Registration Form: https://www.lourdes.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-FALL-Lifelong-Learning-reigstration-form.pdf