There is no question that criminals have existed since the dawn of time. However, what has changed in many ways throughout history is the treatment and handling of these offenders. According to Webster, an ideology is “a systematic set of concepts, especially about human life or culture.” This means that a correctional ideology would refer to ideas regarding the treatment of criminals as determined by law. Throughout history, many ideologies have been applied to correctional actions, but most fall into one of three main categories: punishment, rehabilitation, or prevention. Each ideology can then be broken down further. The ideology of punishment is considered to be the oldest way of dealing with offenders over the years. It can be divided into three additional categories: retribution, deterrence and incapacitation. Retribution is social vengeance. Today, it is the state that takes action against the aggressor, not the victim. Deterrence aims to dissuade potential offenders by instilling fear, while neutralization considers that by isolating people from society they cannot ...