Final answer:
In the 1970s, attention was directed towards reforming mental asylums, building upon efforts initiated in the 19th century by reformers like Dorothea Lynde Dix. These reforms marked a transition from punitive measures to a rehabilitative approach for the mentally ill, establishing therapeutic institutions instead.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1970s, there was a focus on the reform of mental asylums for mentally ill inmates. This era followed significant changes that began in the 19th century when social reformers recognized the need for specialized institutions for the mentally ill. Before these reforms, the mentally ill were often housed in jails and penitentiaries under terrible conditions alongside criminals and debtors.
Dorothea Lynde Dix was a notable figure in the asylum reform movement. In 1841, after witnessing the deplorable conditions in which the mentally ill were kept, she lobbied for the establishment of state mental asylums. Thanks to her efforts and those of others, improved facilities were created specifically for the treatment and housing of the mentally ill, shifting away from the punitive environment of prisons to a more therapeutic approach.