1700 - 1900 Prison reform and Pentonville

Question 1

What is reform and rehabilitation?

Answer 1

To make changes to something or someone, for improvement.

To restore someone to a normal life. To make someone better, or to get someone to recover from something.

from c.1700, there was an increase in the use of prisons.

Question 2

Change in the use of prisons

Previously, what were prisons mainly used for?

Answer 2

However, prisons were mainly used to hold criminals who were awaiting trial.
This changed during the 19th century as prisons became the normal method of punishment in Britain.

Question 3

Recap:

What were Bridewell prisons?

Answer 3

By the late 1500s, houses of correction were being built in towns to punish vagrants and repeat offenders with hard labour.

The first was established in 1556 in Bridewell Palace, London. It was used to punish poor people who had broken the law and to house poor homeless children and orphans.

By the 17th century, similar prisons had been established in London and across the country. They were often called Bridewells, after the first house of correction.

Question 4

Prior to the prvious reforms, bridewell prisons remained the same as before the 19th Century.

Describe some 5 key aspects of these early prisons:

Answer 4

All prisoners were kept together, leading to hardened criminals mixing with first-time offenders, women and children.

Prison wardens were unpaid and so would often accept bribes from prisoners.

Prisons were damp, dirty and unhealthy, which caused illness to spread.

Prisoners had to pay to see a doctor.

Wealthy prisoners were able to have their own cell with comforts such as good food, alcohol and visitors.

Question 5

Who passed the 1923 Gaols Act?
And what was its aim?

Answer 5

The government began a programme of penal reform in the 19th century.

The aim was to ensure that prisons would reform prisoners and help them to become better people who were less likely to commit crime in the future.

In 1823, the Gaols Act was passed under Home Secretary Robert Peel.

Question 6

How many prisons did the Gaols Act apply to?

Answer 6

The Gaols Act only applied to 130 of the biggest prisons and was ignored by small prisons.

It was important in improving the conditions in prisons and was also a sign of growing government involvement in punishment.

Question 7

After the 1823 Gaols Act, did the prisoners have to continue to pay the wardens fees?

Answer 7

No.
Prison Wardens were now paid so no more bribery.

Question 8

Who would now visit prisoners following the Gaols Act?

Answer 8

Doctors and chaplains should now visit prisoners with magistrates to check on the conditions.

Question 9

Gaols Act

True or false?
Prisoners must now attend Chapel?

Answer 9

True

Question 10

Gaols Act:

What happened in regard to the mixing of prisoners?

Answer 10

Male and female prisoners are to be separated.

Prisoners are to be separated into groups so that hardened criminals do not mix with young offenders.

Female prisoners will now be guarded by female wardens.

Question 11

What quality of life improvements did Prisoners receive after the Gaols Act?

Answer 11

Prisoners must have proper food.

Prisons must have a fresh water supply and a drainage system.

Question 12

Who are the 2 main prison reformers?

Answer 12

John Howard

Elizabeth Fry

Question 13

What report did John Howard write?

Answer 13

In 1777 he published a report titled The State of Prisons in England and Wales.

This report detailed the problems in prisons, especially the fees that prisoners paid.

Question 14

Howard suggested 5 of the following improvements:

Answer 14

separation of prisoners

healthier living conditions, including private cells for ‘self reflection’

improved diet for prisoners

wages for prison guards and gaolers so they would not exploit prisoners

immediate release of prisoners who had completed their sentences

Question 15

What religious beliefs did Elizabeth Fry have and what was its impact?

Answer 15

Elizabeth Fry was a Quaker and her religious beliefs influenced her ideas about prison reform.

Fry believed that there was good in everyone and that prison should be used to help people become better.

Question 16

Prison reformers…

fill in the blanks:

Fry visited ………. in prisons and was very ……….. about the conditions she found.

Fry highlighted the ways in which ………….. prisoners were being exploited by ……….. ……… ……….

Answer 16

Fry visited women in prisons and was very concerned about the conditions she found.
Fry highlighted the ways in which female prisoners were being exploited by male prison warders.

Question 17

She helped to improve the conditions in prisons by:

Answer 17

setting up a prayer group for female prisoners.

improving living conditions in cells, including by providing furniture and clothing

setting up a school for the children in Newgate Prison to teach them sewing and knitting

persuading prisons to employ women warders to work with female and child prisoners

Question 18

When was Pentonville prison built ande what was it?

Answer 18

Pentonville prison was built in London in 1842 and became the model on which 90 new prisons in Britain were based between 1842 and 1877 in Britain.

Question 19

What did Pentonville prison aim to do?

Answer 19

Pentonville prison aimed to deter and reform criminals.

It was also intended to be a tough system of punishment that gave society confidence that prisoners were being punished for their crimes.

Question 20

What system did Pentonville use? What did it aim to do?

Answer 20

Prisoners at Pentonville prison spent nearly all their time alone and in their cells, for as many as 23 hours in each day. This was called the separate system.

The aim of this system was to keep prisoners away from the bad influences of other prisoners and allow time for them to reflect on their crimes.

Question 21

Describe some aspects of the separate system?

Answer 21

Every part of the prison was designed to isolate prisoners, with thick walls and repetitive work tasks.

When prisoners were in their cells, they would sleep on a hammock and perform hard work, such as weaving on a loom or breaking rocks.

Prisoners were given time outside to exercise, but they wore masks so that they could not see anyone.

They also had to hold a rope at intervals to stop them from communicating with the other prisoners.

Question 22

What were critisms of the separate system?

Answer 22

The separate system prevented prisoners from mixing and being negatively influenced by one another.

However, this system placed inmates in solitary confinement, which had a negative impact on their mental health. Prisoners who had been confined on their own often suffered from depression and psycohosis.

Many prisoners died by suicide.

The separate system also proved expensive as prisoners had to be housed in separate cells.