Throughout the 19th century, the criminal justice system in America and beyond began to evolve into a structure that more closely resembles the current institution. Before this period, the criminal justice system consisted of laws based on moral commandments, social precedents, and arbitrary punishments. The reform movement of the 1800s brought new perspectives on criminal acts and pioneered new methods of punishment that humanized and streamlined the criminal justice system. The ancient criminal justice system existed in the form of codes of law which were written copies of moral and social precedents carved in stone or clay tablets and displayed in public spaces. In 1750 BC, the Babylonian king Hammurabi had his code of law and means of punishment engraved on a large stone tablet topped with an image depicting God handing over the law to him. Old codes of law did not rely on rational or scientific detention to determine whether the accused committed the crime. The Babylonians believed that the river would be the judge of the crime and tested their power by throwing the accused into the Tigris or Euphrates. If they could swim, they were free, but if they drowned, they were guilty. In addition to irrational means of sentencing, there were harsh punishments that ignored the extent to which they corresponded to the crime. In the Justinian Code of Roman law, there is an excellent example of punishment amplification which states that "whoever composes a defamatory song to the prejudice of others" or any other form of public ridicule of others will be banished to "an island by authority.” by a decree of the Senate. This statement is representative of most phrases from ancient law codes and further into history, although many verdicts...... middle of paper ...... departmental control, a corruption of mass broke out in the city. The “Jacksonian” era created a procedure that allowed individuals to be rewarded with an officer position after helping a politician win a campaign. Often, police officers were paid a bribe to ignore criminal acts committed by gangs or brothels. The rewards were distributed throughout the department's hierarchy and many crimes went unpunished. The reform movement of the 19th century had a valuable impact on the future of the criminal justice system by streamlining laws, civilizing punishment, and introducing prevention and rehabilitation. Nevertheless, many developments had design flaws and were modified to meet growing needs. Today, many problems remain within the criminal justice system, and reformers continue to strive to reduce crime and improve rehabilitation..