Final answer:
Elmira Reformatory, under Zebulon Brockway, aimed to reduce prisoner recidivism through education, reflecting the broader 19th century movement towards rehabilitation of offenders and the morally redeemed.
Step-by-step explanation:
At Elmira Reformatory, Zebulon Brockway implemented education programs as a means of reducing recidivism among prisoners. This approach was part of a larger 19th century penal reform movement, which sought to rehabilitate rather than merely punish individuals who had committed crimes. The idea was to transform them into law-abiding citizens through means such as hard work, religious instruction, and isolation from corrupting influences. This holistic movement also included the establishment of asylums for the mentally ill and workhouses to help reform the poor, all with the underlying belief that social deviants could be morally redeemed and reformed.