Medical Malpractice

I can't find information about the advances made in prisons and asylums in pre-Civil War USA. Help please.

Time period from 1810 to 1859. And I need the place where you got the information. Thank you very much.

Public Comments

1. The most influential thinker on prisons and prison reform in the time period of your interests is the French writer A. deTocqueville, who toured the US with a special interest in prisons. His work was influential in both the US and Europe for one take, see below http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/2002/tocquevilledraft.doc
2. Look up the Pennsylvania Quakers of the period . They had some interesting ideas. Up until then prisons were used as punishment. The Quakers lobbied to have prisons become a place where criminals could learn a trade, work hard, become better people before the end of their sentence. So, look in that direction also