Penal Reformers Flashcards
Summarise John Howard’s role?
He became interested in prisons when he was sheriff of Bedfordshire and he inspected them and was shocked by what he found. This made him publish a report in 1777: The state of prisons in wales and England. This detailed the problems with the old prison system and attacked the fees that the prisoners had to pay. He proposed healthier accommodations, separation of prisoners and better prison guards.
Why was John Howard criticised?
For being too lenient
What religious group did Elizabeth Fry belong to and how did this influence her?
She was a Quaker and she believed that there is something of God in everyone and so therefore everyone can be reformed
What was Elizabeth fry’s experience when she visited women in Newgate prison?
Horrified at what she found as 300 women, some with babies or small children were crammed into rooms 3 rooms. She witnessed two women tearing clothes from a dead baby to put on a living one
How did Fry react to the treatment of prisoners?
She highlighted the poor living conditions and the exploitation of women prisoners by male wardens. She encouraged other Quaker’s to provide assistance as well as set up prayer groups for women to give them religious instruction. She set up a school for the children at Newgate and taught them skills like knitting and sewing to provide a means of surviving after prison.
Who heavily influenced Robert Peel and what did he realise?
John Howard and Elizabeth Fry were penal reformers and heavily influenced him. It was becoming increasingly clear that harsh punishments of the Bloody code were not working and crime was increasing. People began looking for prisons as an alternative and the government began a programme of major penal reform
What law did Robert Peel pass in 1823? What was the main idea behind it?
The Gaols Act and the main idea was to reform the prisoners and make them into better people who were less likely to reoffend.
Even though the Gaols act applied to around 130 of the biggest prisons and some ignored it, it was an important step in improving conditions and these changes were:
Prisoners must be healthy with proper water supply and drainage as well as proper food
Prison wardens and governors are now paid, who before relied on fees paid by inmates
Prisoners so separated so first time offenders are not mixed with hardened criminals
Women and men separated and women have female wardens
All prisoners joule attend chapel and receive religious instruction from the chaplain
Magistrates have a duty to visit prisons in their area and check up on them
What type of impact did the penal reformers have on prisons?
Indirect impact as only Robert peel had the power to introduce new laws
