Crime and punishment

• Types of crime


  • Crimes against the person
  • Crimes against property
  • Crimes against authority
• Crimes against the person


  Crimes that inflict harm on a person, including murder, rape, harassment, domestic violence and assault
• Crimes against property


  Crimes of theft where there is no threat of force or violence towards an individual, including burglary, car theft and arson
• Crimes against authority


  Crimes that threaten or oppose the government or leaders, including treason, conspiracy and espionage
• Types of punishment


  • Retribution
  • Deterrence
  • Rehabilitation or reform
• Retribution


  Punishment intended to get revenge for a crime, e.g. blood feud, mutilation, death penalty
• Deterrence


  Punishment intended to discourage further crime, e.g. public whipping, stocks, pillory, transportation, death penalty
• Rehabilitation or reform


  Punishment intended to help improve character and give opportunity to contribute positively to society, e.g. prison, community service
• Law enforcement development


  1. Local community through tithings and hue and cry

  2. King and government taking more responsibility, resulting in centralised and specialised police force
• It has always been the case that some people have chosen to behave in a way society deems to be wrong, leading to them breaking the law and committing a crime
• Punishment and law enforcement in Britain have developed and changed since c.1000 to prevent crime and encourage individuals to make morally correct choices about their behaviour
• Historical periods for the history of crime and punishment

  • Medieval England, c.1250-c.1500
  • Renaissance England, c.1500-c.1700
  • The Industrial Revolution, c.1700-c.1900
  • Modern Britain, c.1900-present
• Century


  A period of 100 years
• Decade


  A period of 10 years
• Change


  When something is different from what it was before
• Continuity


  When something is the same as what it was before
• Progress


  When there is positive change or improvement and things get better
• Regression


  When there is negative change and things get worse
• Rate of change


  The speed at which change happens (eg slow, fast, rapid or stagnant)
• Trend


  A general direction in which something is developing or changing
• Turning point


  A point at which significant change happens
• Factor


  An element that drives change, enables change to happen or supports continuity - for example, the Church, government, individuals, science and technology, or attitudes in society
• The thematic study of crime and punishment in Britain, c.1250-present spans over 1,000 years
• Understanding the period's chronology and knowing some key themes is essential to understanding patterns of change and continuity
• These contribute to change or continuity in crime and punishment over time and can each be observed and analysed
• Power, authority and influence in England, c.1000-present


  • The Church remained highly influential throughout Anglo-Saxon and medieval England
  • The kings gradually increased their role in crime and punishment in later medieval England
  • The Church continued to be influential in early modern England, where its influence continued until after the Reformation
  • After the Reformation in England, there were changes in the definition of crime
  • The increase in crimes against authority led to more severe punishments being used
  • Justices of the Peace (JPs) played a greater role in law enforcement
• Medieval England


  1. The Church's role in law enforcement

  2. Trial by ordeal

  3. Benefit of the clergy

  4. Responsibility of the tithing

  5. Hue and cry

  6. Humiliation by stocks or pillory

  7. Kings introduced new roles in law enforcement
• Early modern England


  1. Witchcraft became a crime

  2. Increase in crimes of heresy and treason

  3. Harsh punishment of vagabonds and growing distrust within communities

  4. Justices of the Peace (JPs) played a greater role in law enforcement

  5. Transportation and the Bloody Code were introduced
• The Industrial Revolution


  1. Increase in crimes like smuggling and poaching

  2. Introduction of the first centralised system of policing, the Bow Street Runners

  3. Abolition of the Bloody Code and transportation

  4. Campaigns for prisoner rehabilitation
• Modern Britain


  1. Changes in the definition of crime, including crimes associated with cars and race-related crimes

  2. Old crimes continued in new forms due to technological developments

  3. Changes in attitudes led to a focus on tackling causes of crime and reforming criminals

  4. Abolition of the death penalty

  5. Introduction of non-custodial punishments

  6. Changes to policing due to increased government responsibility and technological developments

  7. Women began taking on roles in policing
• There have been certain turning points that have changed the definition of crime and the punishments used for criminals, and caused rapid progress in law enforcement
• Crimes in Anglo-Saxon England


  • Crimes against the person
  • Crimes against property
  • Crimes against authority
• Crimes against the person


  • Murder
  • Assault
  • Insulting a neighbour
  • Public disorder
• Crimes against property


  • Petty theft
  • Ploughing someone else's land
  • Poaching
  • Counterfeiting coins
  • Arson
• Poaching


  Illegal hunting or fishing
• Poaching


  Considered a social crime, many villages did not punish people who did it
• Crimes against authority


  • Betraying your lord
  • Treason
• Treason


  To betray or plot against the government or monarchy
• Crime has always been a feature of human society, but the crimes committed in Anglo-Saxon England were different and less numerous than those committed today
• Anglo-Saxon society was structured with the king, nobles, the Church, and peasants