What form of punishment did early prisons utilize?

Early prisons primarily utilized forms of punishment such as exile or corporal punishment. This reflects historical practices before the modern penitentiary system was established. During that time, the focus was on physical punishment and public humiliation as methods to deter crime and inflict retribution. Exile involved removing offenders from their communities, while corporal punishment included physical penalties for transgressions. These methods were seen as effective means of maintaining order and enforcing societal norms in the absence of structured rehabilitation programs that developed later.

In contrast, options like imprisonment with rehabilitation programs, community mines work, and work release programs represent more contemporary approaches to criminal justice, where the emphasis is on rehabilitation and reintegration rather than solely on punishment.