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