Changes in punishment, c1900-present Flashcards
What was the decline of the use of the death penalty?
The death penalty was used less and less from the 19th century onwards, by the 1830s murder and treason were the only crimes punished by the death penalty.
how many people a year were executed in the 1950s?
15
What was the homicide act of 1957?
you could only get the death penalty if you were
- committing two murders on different occasions
- committing murder in the course of committing theft
- killing someone by shooting or an explosion
- killing someone whilst resisting arrest, or during an escape from the authorities
- killing a prison officer or a police officer.
What crimes were still punished by the death penalty after the 1965 Murder Act?
Espionage, arson of the royal dock, and piracy with violence.
When was the death penalty abolished for all crimes?
1998
What was the Children’s Act and when was it?
1908, Children under sixteen could no longer be sentenced to death.
What was the Young Persons Act and when was it?
1933, the age limit under which the death penalty could not be received was raised to 18.
It also changed the age of criminal responsibility to the age of 8, this was raised to 10 in 1963.
What was the Infanticide Act and when was it?
1922, women could no longer get the death penalty for killing their child shortly after birth.
Who was Timothy Evans and when was he hung?
A man who was hung for killing his wife and child in 1950, later turned out they had been killed by a serial killer - Evans was innocent.
Who was Darek Bently and when was he hung?
Hung for the murder of a police officer in 1953, had not fired the gun himself, had a low mental age and learning disabilities, prosecuted anyways.
Who was Ruth Ellis and when was she hung?
Hung for the murder of her violent and abusive boyfriend in 1955, he had attacked her during pregnancy and caused her to miscarry, another of her children was young and left orphaned by her death.
In what year was it decided that mentally ill prisoners would be treated differently and how did they go about this?
1896, Broadmor Hospital was opened.
In what year was it decided that hard labor would be stopped in prisons, how did they go about it?
1902, No more treadwheels in prison.
In what year did the idea of Alternative to prisons begin being used and how did they go about it?
1907, Probation officers were employed to check on the offenders living outside prisons.
In what year did they get an increased focus on prisoner welfare and how did they go about it?
1922, the Separate system ended, new initiatives to improve conditions, educational opportunities introduced.
