Old Vs New Jail System Flashcards
In the late 1700s what was prison made up of?
16% minor crimes
24% serious offences
60% debtors
I’m the 1770s what was introduced as a short term solution to the ending of transportation.
Prison hulks which were old and rotten former warships that had previously transported criminals but now were turned into prisons. The conditions were awful and the death rate was one in three often from diseases
What happened in mixed prisons and what was the concern?
Hardened criminals mixed with first offenders, debtors, women and children. Stories were exchanged and future plans made. It was feared that prisons were schools for crime.
How did prisoner fees work in prison?
Prison wardens were unpaid and had to earn money by charging prisoners fees. If you were well off you could afford better food, your own cell and even a pet. Prisoners had to pay a fee to be released and those who couldn’t afford it continued to suffer behind bars
Who did the poor rely on to pay their fees?
Local charities and the poorest lived in the most overcrowded conditions and at Newgate gaol 275 of the poorest prisoners lived in an area made for 150
What was the health system like in early prisons?
Prisoners had to pay to see a doctor and was a problem as prisons were damp, unhealthy and dirty and gaol fever killed many
Between 1842 and 1877, 90 new prisons were built and the first of these was Pentonville prison. What was the purpose of Pentonville and why was it built?
It was built to deal with the increased number of serious criminals no longer being executed or transported. It aimed to reform and rehabilitate the inmates that passed through its doors.
What was the separate system, which was employed from the 1840s onwards?
Prisoners spent almost all their time in cells and contact with other criminals was made as difficult as possible. The main idea was to keep them away from the wicked influence of other prisoners. By being alone they could reflect on their actions
Whilst the separate system was effective, what happened as a result of it?
The impact of solitary confinement was shocking as in the first eight years of Pentonville prison, 22 prisoners went mad, 26 had nervous breakdowns and 3 committed suicide.
What was a growing belief in the 1860s?
There was an identifiable criminal type who was thought to be physically recognisable and less evolved from the rest of society and these criminal types could not be reformed, only deterred by tougher prisons
What was introduced in prisons (whose aim was to deter) from the 1860s?
The silent system was introduced. Prisoners were expected to be silent at all times and breaking this rule could result in whipping or put on a diet of bread and water. Hard wooden bunks replaced hammocks and food was adequate now but monotonous. The same menu the whole year every day. Prisoners were also expected to take part in hard labour which was deliberately pointless work for hours a day
Give two reasons on how did media caused harsher prison conditions in the 1860s?
Although crime was falling at this time, certain high profile crimes and popular and cheap booklets known as penny dreadfuls, which told tales of violent crimes, and increased fear of public.
A good example of panic stirred up by the media was the Garrotting crisis, which were people who strangled the victim so that they could be easily robbed. In 1862 an MP was garrotted near the House of Commons and the newspapers stirred up an outcry and blamed criminals who had won early release from prisons for good behaviour
