During the 20th century there were several major changes in how prisons operated: greater sentencing laws such as mandatory minimums led to longer sentences with little opportunity for early release; privatization encouraged competition between private and public facilities which drove down costs at taxpayers’ expense; electronic monitoring expanded access to surveillance on offenders outside of prison walls; finally, ‘get tough’ policies such as three strikes laws led to harsher punishments even for minor offenses like drug possession or shoplifting which disproportionately impacted minorities who already face structural racism within our justice system today..

Today’s prisons face a whole host of issues including overcrowding (due in part from lengthy sentencing laws), poor healthcare conditions leading to pandemics like COVID-19 outbreaks inside prison walls due to lack of testing or preventive measures taken by authorities , inadequate mental health services leading people with mental illnesses into revolving door cycles through jails instead of receiving adequate treatment elsewhere , racial disparity between those incarcerated versus demographics among others . In order for prisons become more humane living spaces moving forward ,investment needs put into better resources that can offer comprehensive treatment plans including educational programs , job training & rehabilitation initiatives tailored specifically address individual cases . The future will likely bring more scrutiny over criminal justice & corrections policies more awareness about systematic flaws that exist within these systems ; whether it be through continued activism or alternative solutions such legislative reforms remain seen what shape lies ahead .