Methods of Punishment Flashcards
In the Medieval Era someone must be found…before they can be punished
Guilty
How did they determine if someone was guilty or not in the Medieval Era
Trials
5 examples of trials in Medieval Era
Trial by…
blessed bread
Cold water
Hot iron
Hot water
Jury
Punishments have both a nature and what
Purpose
5 types of nature of punishment
Corporal (inflict pain)
Capital (execute)
Humiliation
Exclusion
Compensatory
5 types of purpose of punishment
Deterrence
Reform
Maintain law and order
Protection
Retribution (revenge)
True or false, punishments in the medieval era were very harsh
True
3 main types of punishment used in Medieval era
(All punishments were harsh and aimed at deterring others from committing similar crimes)
Whipping (variety of minor crimes like not going to church)
Stocks and pillory (minor crimes like drunkenness)
Mutilation e.g chop off hands (theft/ regular offenders)
True or false, in both the Medieval era and 16th and 17th century punishment for minor crimes were harsh
True
True or false, both the Medieval Era and 16th/17th century used harsh punishment for minor crimes + execution, the stocks and pillory
True
These took place in public to deter others for committing similar crimes + act as humiliation
What punishment was specific to Vagabonds in 16th/ 17th century
Burning hole in ear with hot iron and being branded with a V
(Following Vagabonds Act 1572)
(Type of mutilation punishment)
When were harsh public punishments used up to
1800s (19th century)
By 1815 how many crimes were punishable by death
225
(Known as the bloody code due to its harshness)
What was the Bloody Code
Where by 1815 there were 225 capital crimes punishable by death- its name is due to its harshness
Example of where public executions took place (up to late 19th century when they were banned)
Tyburn, London
When did transportation start
Late 1600s
Following Act of 1678 where convicts were sent to British colonies like North America
Why was transportation introduced from 1678
Hanging felt too harsh/ extreme
Reduce crime rate and protect society if criminals removed
Between 1717 and 1776 how many prisoners were transported to America
Over 30,000
When were hulks used as a form of punishment and what were they
Late 1700s (1776) after the American war of independence
Hulks acted as emergency prisons so were overcrowded with terrible conditions
What % of prisoners died in prison hulks
25%
Due to unhygienic conditions and outbreaks of violence
When did the 2nd lot of transportation start and why
1788
After Captain Cook discovered Australia
When transportation was used for the 2nd time, how many convicts were sent to Australia each year
2,000 on average
When did all transportation stop by
End of 1800s (19th century)
When did prison reform start to happen
End of 1800s when transportation ended so prisons were overcrowded with appalling conditions
(But some of the key individual prison reformers started to campaign from the end of the 1700s)
3 key prison reformers in 18th and 19th century after end of transportation
John Howard
George O Paul
Elizabeth Fry
One major step in prison reform (act passed)
Gaols Act 1823
(Prisoners follow certain reform programme, sanitary conditions, JPs inspect prions on regular basis etc)
2 different systems used in prisons in 19th century
Separate system
Silent system
Facts about separate system
System used in prisons in 1800s
Reform prisoners through isolation and complete work like making boots
Gives time for prisoners to reflect on mistakes and learn from them e.g Pentonville prison
Facts about Silent system
Used in 1800s
Aim to make life as unpleasant as possible and hate prison so much that they didn’t reoffend
Work boring and pointless e.g the treadwheel (revolving staircase which prisoners walked on for several hours)
Were the separate and silent systems in prisons in the 1800s effective or not
No
Didn’t lower reoffending rates + high suicide and insanity rates
Therefore further prison reform occurred to impose strict punishment not reform
When were borstals set up
1908
What age group were borstals used for
Young offenders
It focused on education
When did open prisons emerge
1900s
What alternative punishments to prisons (apart from borstals which were like a prison alternative to educate young offenders) emerged in the 1900s
Probation (criminals remain in community but regularly report back to police)
Community service (unpaid work and benefits community e.g litter picking)
Parole (prisoners released before end of sentence if they show good behaviour)
Electronic tagging (whilst offenders aren’t prisoned where they can move is limited and all their activities are tracked by the police)
When is the fist time prisoners are punished through reform not deterrence/ retribution etc
18th and 19th century during prison reform
Timeline of punishment for all time periods
100% Harsh punishment up to 19th century
- flogging, mutilation, stocks and pillary including the Bloody Code in 19th century and transportation from 17th to 19th century
Prisons start properly being used in 19th century when transportation ends but prisoners are given chance to reform
3 key prison reformers
Separate and silent system
20th century introduces borstals then open prisons, still about reforming criminals
Lastly alternatives to prisons start being used e.g probation and community service
Punishment in medieval era
Medieval era= very harsh physical punishment (corporal punishment)
Includes flogging, stocks and pillory, mutilation.
Flogging is used for variety of offences including not attending church, stealing goods worth less than a shilling and for beggars which was a punishment that involved beating and acted as a form of retribution- served as revenge for the criminal
Stocks and pillory was where the criminal would be put in a wooden frame with holes for their head and hands/ feet and members of the public could watch the criminal suffer including insult them and throw things at them. This aimed to deter others from committing the crime and was used to punish offenders of minor crimes e.g drunkenness, swearing and dishonest trading like selling underweight goods.
Regular offenders as well as criminals who took part in theft could receive mutilation where part of their body was severely damaged e.g having their hand cut off.
3 main types of punishment in medieval era
Stocks and pillory
Whipping/ flogging
Mutilation
Also public execution
What is flogging
Beating
In the medieval era, the 3 main forms of punishment were flogging/ whipping, sticks and pillory and mutilation. These were all forms of what type of punishment
Corporal
In the medieval era what offences was flogging/ whipping used for
Variety of offences e.g refusing to attend church, stealing goods worth less than a shilling, beggars
What was the stocks
Wooden frame with holes for criminal’s feet so they would be trapped in place
Was a public punishment so criminals could get insulted/ stuff thrown at them
What was the pillory
A wooden frame with holes for head and hands used as public punishment where criminal could be insulted and have things to.g stones thrown at them
In the medieval era what offences was the stocks and pillory used for
Minor crimes like drunkenness, swearing and dishonest trading e.g selling underweight goods
In the medieval era the stocks and pillory was used for minor crimes like… , …. and…
Drunkenness
Swearing
Dishonest trading e.g selling underweight goods
In the medieval era, the stocks and pillory was used for minor crimes like drunkenness, swearing and dishonest trading e.g…
Selling underweight goods
When did public punishment e.g stocks, pillory and flogging/ whipping end
Ended in 1800s
In the late Medieval era, 16th and 17th century, crimes punishable by execution included…
Murder
Treason
Arson
Counterfeiting
Some minor crimes e.g theft of goods worth over a shilling
In the late medieval era, 16th century and 17th century, crimes punishable by execution included a…, m…., c….,t……and minor crimes like theft of goods worth over …..
Arson
Murder
Treason
Counterfeiting
1 shilling
Public executions occurred from the medieval era up to the 1800s.
During the 1500s (Tudor era) what main crimes were people executed for
Political and religious
E.g Mary Queen of Scots burned nearly 300 Protestants at the stake for not following her Catholic beliefs
E.g Mary Queen of Scot’s was found guilty of treason so executed in 1587 following her plotting to kill Elizabeth 1
During the 1500s (tutor period) the main crimes punishable by execution were religious and political. 2 key examples of this are when …..burns….at the stake and where Mary Queen of Scots is executed in…..after plotting to kill Elizabeth 1 and therefore taking part in treason
Mary 1
Nearly 300
1587
By 1815 there are….crimes punishable by death
225
By ….there are 225 crimes punishable by death
1815
What is a capital crime
A crime punishable by the death penalty (crimes punishable by death and by 1815 there were 225 of these)
What name is given to where by 1815 there were 225 crime punishable by death
Bloody code
Or ‘The Criminal Code’
The criminal code or ‘Bloody code’ refers to what
Where by 1815 there were 225 crimes punishable by death
What year were public executions banned
1868
What was banned in 1868
Public executions
True or false, after 1868 executions still occured
True
However not publicly (they had to take place inside prisons) as public executions were banned in 1868
A type of mutilation punishment in the 16th and 17th century specific to vagabonds was…
Being branded with a V
Burning hole in ear
Main types of punishment used in 1500s and 1600s (16th and 17th century)
Public execution (crimes punishable by execution included arson, treason, murder, counterfeiting and theft of goods worth over a shilling e.g Mary Queen of Scots burnt nearly 300 heretics at the stake and Elizebeth 1 had Mary Queen of Scot’s executed in 1587 after her involvement in treason)
Mutilation specific to vagabonds- branded with V and had hole burnt in ear
During 1500s (Tudor period) JPs set up houses of correction (Bridewells) which was the first form of any prison created (no prisons in medieval era) where persistent beggars were kept and given supervised work in order to reform.
There were 14 prisons in London in the 1500s but they were used to hold criminals before they would go on to be punished e.g executed after being found guilty
1678 transportation to America begins
During the 1500s is the first time prisons are used (to hold suspects before they then went on to be trialled and punished or released) and there are…..prisons in London
14
Name for prisons set up in 1500s by JPs
Houses of correction
(Bridewells)
Another name for houses of correction set up in 1500s by JPs to provided supervised work for persistent beggars in order to reform them
Bridewells
Another name for Bridewells
Houses of correction
Houses of correction (Bridewells) were set up by…in the 1500s and provided supervised work for persistent beggars in order to reform them
JPs
When is the first time prisons are used as punishment
1500s
JPs set up houses of correction (Bridewells) to reform persistent beggars by providing supervised work
There are 14 prisons in London
What was the Gaols Act of 1823 (major step in prison reform)
JPs visit prisons regularly to inspect prisons
Prisoners follow reform programme
Prisoners must be in secure and sanitary conditions
When was the time were prisons were in the most awful conditions (which then stimulated a series of reform acts/ individual reformers) and why
1776
Transportation to America ended
Prisons way too overcrowded, had terrible conditions, 25% prisoners died including from jail fever
What year did John Howard carry out a survey of prisons where he found that prisoners weren’t separated by the type of crimes they had committed and there were terrible diseases like jail fever
1776
Borstals were set up for young offenders in 1908 and focused on education instead of punishment. How long were they used for
Not very long
Abolished by 1982
(Lasted less than 100 years)
Borstals were set up for young offenders in 1908 and focused on education instead of punishment. How long were they used for
Not very long
Abolished by 1982
(Last less than 100 years)
When we’re young offenders institutions set up and what was their aim
1988
Reform violent young offenders
Have secure training centres
Prevent reoffending through education and rehabilitation
3 key changes to type of prisons in 1900s e.g types of prison alternatives set up
Borstals set up 1908 for young offenders focusing on reform through education instead of punishment) (were abolished 1982)
Young Offender’s Institution- set up 1988 to reform violent young offenders with secure training centres to prevent reoffending through education and rehabilitation
Open prisons following WW2- for non violent prisons to gradually reintroduce them back into the community
3 key changes to type of prisons in 1900s e.g types of prison alternatives set up
Borstals set up 1908 for young offenders focusing on reform through education instead of punishment) (were abolished 1982)
Young Offender’s Institution- set up 1988 to reform violent young offenders with secure training centres to prevent reoffending through education and rehabilitation
Open prisons following WW2- for non violent prisons to gradually reintroduce them back into the community
Who abolished 100 different types of crime in the bloody code in 1823
Robert Peel
