Although it has varied in its forms, punishment is largely influenced by socially constructed theories and views of criminal activity. It is important to recognize how forms of punishment have progressed from public humiliation and executions to solitary confinement to the present day, with forced labor and firmly established routines. Also how the facilities have changed with the number of incarcerated people. From initially being just two-story houses to being huge communities hidden behind penitentiary walls, it becomes important to ask what their true purpose really is. While it can be argued that prisons are still a form of rehabilitation for offenders, when you examine what inmates are actually doing, they are benefiting the economy more than they themselves are benefiting. Making budget cuts to the education and counseling services needed to reform offenders will only continue to increase incarceration rates. Instead, that money is currently being invested in ways to further expand the prison enterprise and displace those who are marginalized. Racism and economic greed have been built into the operation of prisons. To reduce recidivism rates we need to focus more on decreasing crime and incarceration rates by focusing more on resources and