Change and continuity in punishment, c.1700-c.1900 Flashcards
fill in the blanks….
Ideas about the purpose of punishment changed throughout the years c.1700 to c.1900. More people believed that the punishment given should fit the crime committed.
Ideas about punishment changed from believing it should act as a …………. to believing criminals should be given the opportunity to ……… and be ……………
Ideas about the purpose of punishment changed throughout the years c.1700 to c.1900. More people believed that the punishment given should fit the crime committed.
Ideas about punishment changed from believing it should act as a deterrent to believing criminals should be given the opportunity to reform and be rehabilitated.
When was the Bloody Code abolished?
The Bloody Code was abolished in the early 19th century by the reforms of Sir Robert Peel, who was Home Secretary in the 1820s
After 1841, what crimes remained to be punishable by death?
Murder
Treason
What was ‘pious perjury’?
Many juries practised ‘pious perjury’, often finding people not guilty or reducing the amount stolen to avoid the crime being a capital offence.
They thought the punishment would be too harsh.
This led to criminals feeling more confident that they would escape punishment for crime, and as a result the crime rate increased in the 18th century.
Public executions were also no longer providing the opportunity to deter others from crime. Instead:
they became forms of entertainment - where drunk and disorderly crowds might form
the large crowds became difficult to manage
the gatherings began to attract crime - providing opportunities for pickpockets and prostitution
The last public hanging in Britain took place in 1868.
What was transportation?
To send a convicted criminal to a prison camp overseas, such as in America or Australia.
Transportation was seen as a good alternative to the death penalty because it was still a serious punishment.
How many people were transported?
About 160,000 people were transported to Australia, of which one in six were women.
The British authorities were in favour of transportation because?
5 key reasons…
They believed it would deter criminals and be a successful punishment.
They believed it was a more humane alternative to the death penalty, so juries were more likely to convict criminals.
They believed it would help to reform criminals through hard work.
Britain didn’t have prisons designed to hold the large numbers being convicted in courts.
Prisoners would be useful sources of labour to build and later populate colonies.
What was transportation used as a punsihment for?
Transportation was used as a punishment for theft, and especially for those who had committed more than one offence.
The government also used transportation to punish those who had taken part in political protests, but these only made up a small number of the overall criminals transported.
What did the prisoners do in Australia?
Once in Australia, the convicts were assigned to a master, whom they had to work for.
Good behaviour and hard work gave the convicts the opportunity of early release.
If convicts continued to commit crime, they were whipped.
True or false,
Transportation began by sending prisoners to Australia?
False,
From 1654 some convicts were sent to the British colonies in America to work instead of being executed.
When did the use of transportation decline?
The use of transportation began to decline in the 1840s and officially ended in 1868.
True or false?
It was seen as an opportunity for convicts because wages were higher in Australia.
True
For some, it was even seen wrongly by some as a holiday to a warmer country.
Australia was becoming a popular place to settle.
Why was transportation phased out?
Transportation was costing the British government millions of pounds every year. Maintenance of transported people in Australia was also costing more than planned.
The use of transportation did not lead to a decrease in crime in Britain.
Settlers in Australia were unhappy that convicts were being sent there, as it was feared it would lead to increased crime rates once the convicts were released and entered into society.
What was a hulk?
A disused warship that was used as a temporary prison.
