c and p industrial(1750-1900) Flashcards
common crimes
highway robbery - feared by travellers. Normally operated on the streets of London. Appeared quickly and disappeared quickly.
smuggling and poaching
Smuggling - Smugglers brought good into the country without paying import tax. They smuggled: tea, brandy and other goods. Smuggling was treated sevrely and was punishable by death
Poaching - This law meant only landowners with land worth more than £100 a year could hunt.
The public attitidues to these crimes were that people turned a blind eye to the crime so if they saw someone commit the crime, they wouldn’t report them, they would just leave it as they thought the law was hugely unfair.
Why were Robert Peel’s reforms were sucessful?
Increased taxation - The french war forced it to raise more money through taxes. Local authorities were given power to raise taxes for a police force
Increasing crimes - Crime rate had rise. People were scared of crimes especially violent ones and they thought crimes were out of control.
Fear of protest - high food prices and unemployment led to many protests.
Growth of towns - This made contables and watchmen less effective. Streets were too crammed and there was’nt enough space with streets packed with houses and people.
Development of policing
- 1835-1839 - Towns/countries could establish their own police force
- 1842 - Metropolitan police set up the first detective force to investigate and solve crimes.
- 1856 - Compulsory for all towns and countries to have police forces
- 1878 - Metropolitan police detective force became the criminal investigation department (CID)
- 1884 - 39,000 policemen in Britain in over 200 seperate forces.
The abolition of the bloody code
- Juries were unwilling to convict as execution as they thought it was too harsh
- Large crowds made it harder to control. It was seen as entertainment and people no longer viewed it as a deterrent.
- Some argued that punihsments should reform criminals. Alternatives included being tried or transportation to different countries (mainly australia)
Transportation
Success:
- Juries were more willing to transport someone
- Australia was firmly part of the British Empire by the 1830s.
- Some became respected members of Australia
Failures:
- Crime rate increased
- Transportation was very expensive
- Australia wages were higher so more prisoners thought of it as an opportunity as a ticket of leave
- Many settler’s protested against sending convicted criminals in Australia
- Prisons were used more often in 1868 and transportation died down
Before/After the Gaols act
Before:
- Harderened criminals with first time offenders
- Men and women were together
- Warders were unpaid
- Prisoners had to pay to see a doctor
- Conditions were unhealthy and overcwoded
After:
- Prisoners were seperated
- Waders were paid
- Prisoners became healthier
- Prisoners got given proper food
The seperate and silent system
Seperate system(1830s onward):
- Prisoners spent most time alone in their cell
- Religious services to encourage them to be honest
- Prisoners had to work in their cells so they might get a job when released
Silent system(1860s onward):
- Prisoners were kept silent at all times or faced punishments such as a diet of bread and water
- Food was adequate but the same every day
- Prisoners did hard labour - physically demanding work for 12 hours a day
- Prisoners slept on wooden boards instead of traditional hammocks
- Walls were built thick so prisoners couldn’t communicate
