Separate system

• Pentonville Prison was built as a prototype (test version) of the ‘separate system’.
• Under the separate system, prisoners were kept apart as much as possible. They lived in separate cells and stayed there for up to 23 hours a day.
• There were a number of reasons this was thought to be a good idea: a. give prisoners a chance to reform through religious faith and self-reflection b. ensure prisoners were not influenced by others c. deter people from committing crimes because of the seriousness of the punishment d. ensure retribution by making prisoners ‘pay’ for their crimes