Hard Fare, Hard Beds and Hard Labour Flashcards
How did Oxford prison transition from the Georgian Era to the Victorian Era?
By the beginning of the Victorian Era, the county jail at Oxford had been transformed from the insanitary enterprise of Wisdom’s day into a rigorous and austere modern institution. Gone was the rowdy and disorderly Georgian jail, in its place a drab, regimented, eerily quiet Victorian version
Why was Oxford Prison expanded in the 19th century?
The prison population rose steeply due to the Victorian authorities opting to imprison more people in an attempt to eradicate the high public fear of crime. As more prions had to be built to cope with the rising numbers, Oxford Prison was greatly expanded. New wings were added so that prisoners could be classified according to age and gender. A separate women’s prison was built before 1851, and then a large new new cellblock, now known as the ‘A’ Wing
What else increased in and around prisons in the Victorian Era?
Provisions for hard labour were increased with the addition of treadwheels and a capstan for pumping water
What is a treadwheel?
A large, wide water wheel fitted with steps where several prisoners at once would climb these steps repeatedly causing the entire wheel to rotate
What is a Capstan Wheel?
A vertical-axled rotating machine used to pump water from the castle millstream into a water-tank on the upper floor of the tower. To operate this, prisoners would push the handles on the side of the machine around in circles to get the water pumping with the handles proving to be extremely heavy. This form of capital punishment was exclusive to Oxford Prison as Capstan wheels are usually used for draw up anchors on ships
What was the primary difference between Daniel Harris and the Victorians’ approach to prison labour?
The changing attitudes towards the treatment of prisoners was much different to Daniel Harris’ approach where he encouraged public work from prisoners in an attempt to show them the benefits of working and earning money in society. However, the Victorians strived for prisons to be places of dreaded and demoralising work so that it would be a deterrent towards people committing crimes and being sent back to do the back-breaking work
What was The Shot Drill?
This involved prisoners carrying large cannon balls to the far end of the site and putting them down again. This process was repeated throughout the day
What was Oakum-Picking?
Untwisting old tar-covered ropes from ships which were then used for filling prison mattresses. The process left prisoners with cramped and bleeding hands
Why did the Victorians introduce identical uniforms for the prisoners?
To strip them of their social status and individuality. Prisoners even had their haircut to match other prisoners as well. Badges were also put on prisoners who had attempted to escape prison. These were yellow to indicate that they were ‘high risk’. This was the only form of identity that you could gain in the prison
As prisons grew in the 19th century, how did the Victorians deal with the arising issue of keeping track of prisoners in their custody?
The Victorians response was to develop a system of criminal-record-keeping. Prisoners would be assigned by which he or she would be known behind bars, not by their name. From the 1860s onwards, with the invention of photography, all convicted criminals had their pictures taken as soon as they were put into custody
How would criminals work their way around having mugshots taken?
Convicts would move about to blur the image or even put pebbles in their mouths to distort their features
