Which movement sought to improve conditions for criminals and emotionally disturbed people in the 1820s and 1830s?

The Asylum Movement specifically focused on creating better living conditions and humane treatment for individuals who were mentally ill and those incarcerated. This movement emerged during the early to mid-19th century as reformers began advocating for the establishment of asylums that could provide compassionate care instead of the harsh treatment often found in prisons and poorhouses. Leaders such as Dorothea Dix played a pivotal role in this movement, championing for the rights and needs of the mentally ill and drawing attention to their plight.

While other movements, such as the Prison Reform Movement, aimed to improve the justice system and conditions within prisons, the Asylum Movement uniquely centered on mental health and the treatment of emotionally disturbed individuals. Therefore, the focus on this particular aspect of social reform in the 1820s and 1830s solidifies why the Asylum Movement is the correct answer in this context.