Legislations

• The penitentiary act of 1779 allowed new prisons to be built based off of reform and hard labour
• the 1823 Gaols act said that prisons should be made secure, gaolers paid, women and men separate and doctors and chaplain are to visit daily
• The 1839 Prison act created new prisons based on the separate system
• the 1869 debtors act limited the ability of the courts to give debtors a sentence
• The 1868 capital punishment amendment act banned public hangings
• The penitentiary act of 1779 meant less transportation so more prisons are needed leading to the Georgian prison in 1787
• The Gaol act introduced reformers ideas and allowed for prison inspection in 1835 that was funded by the goverment
• executions ended in 1868
• william marwood made the measured drop
• the measured drop as based off weight and height to calculate the most effective hanging
• on journalists were able to be present
• Hangings continued at HMP until 1961.
• gallows were set up in cobbs hall so 15,000 people could watch