1700-1900

• • Rapidly increasing population lead to the government making more crimes punishable by death, peaking at 222 in 1810, in an attempt to quell crime.
  • However, this was not effective, and the 19th century saw increasing feelings that crimes should match to punishments, corporal and capital punishments were inhumane, and punishment should be about rehabilitating the offender.
  • This lead to the end of the Bloody Code, and in increase in other punishments, like transportation and eventually imprisonment.
• In this time period, transportation changed to Australia, due to the American Civil War. Most stayed there after their sentence. Transportation ended in 1865 because:

  • Australia didn't need any more labourers, some felt it was too expensive and not a deterrent, as well as not fair on families of convicts, and more and more prisons were built, so they were favoured.
• • Prison conditions in the 18th century were poor, with overcrowding and poor sanitation, as well as incorporated hard labour.
  • Many thought this was good, as it acts as a good deterrent.
  • However, some reformers believed prisons should be improved, and used for rehabilitation
• John Howard was a prison reformer, whose work led to the Gaol Act in 1774, which suggested how health and sanitation in prisons should be improved.
• • Elizabeth Fry was a prison reformer, who visited women in Newgate Prison in 1813.
  • She set up education classes to reform female prisoners, as well as better food and clothing, and treated prisoners with kindness and respect.
  • Her work, as well as the work of John Howard, eventually lead to Peele's prison reforms.
• Pentonville Prison was built in 1842. It was a model for the seperate system, which was a new approach to dealing with crime
• • The wings of the prison housed dozens of individual cells and a staff base.
  • Walls were very thick to prevent prisoners talking to each other.
  • Courtyards were built so that the prisoners could get some fresh air. They were masked to prevent communication.

  
• Each cell was 4m x 2m

  There were looms for the prisoners could work on.

  There was a small, barred window, wash basin and toilet, a bed, a blanket and a mattress.

  
• The seperate system was good for rehabilitation because:

  • Solitude was thought to be the best way for the prisoners to reflect on their crimes, turn to religion, and consequentially reform their ways.
  • Prisoners couldn't be influenced by other prisoners
• For retribution, the separate system was effective, as the isolation and boredom made the prisoners 'pay' for their crimes.
• As a deterrent, the separate system was used as it was a serious punishment, and therefore thought as a deterrent to committing crimes
• Strengths of the separate system:

  • Compared with previous prisons, it was clean, and therefore less prone to disease.
  • Many people thought it proved the right level of punishment, as it was harsh but not overly so.
• Weaknesses of the separate system:

  • The continuous isolation lead to development of mental illness and a high suicide rate.
  • There was no education/instruction to provide prisoners useful skills for when they left the prison.