In the early prison system, what form of punishment was often used?

The early prison system primarily emphasized confinement as a means of punishment. Confinement until punishment, or pre-trial detention for those awaiting sentencing, was a common practice. This approach aimed to remove individuals from society while they awaited the determination of their punishment, creating a system of accountability before the actual punishment could be administered. The focus was on isolating offenders from the public as a form of deterrence and societal protection.

While physical labor and other forms of punishment like financial restitution did exist historically, they were typically not as central to the punishment philosophy as confinement was during this period. Labor was often a component of punishment in later systems, but initially, the fundamental goal was to remove offenders from society through incarceration, ensuring that justice was sought through the legal process.