Pentonville prison Flashcards
Pentonville prison
A model prison built in 1840s to house prisoners
Why was Pentonville prison built?
No transportation = more prisons needed
No bloody code = more prisons needed
Needed best prison for all other prisons to increase silent and separate system
How were prisoners punished at first there?
A few months then transportation
But then that was abolished
Separate system
Could never see or speak to anyone
Wore a hood whilst exercising
Church services kept in a small box and only saw chaplain
Decent hygiene and food
Silent system
Hard physical useless labour
Silence enforced by whipping
Oakum picking
Pulling out fibres from dirty rope from a ship
Treadwheel
Run for 10 mins, rest for 5 mins
The crank
Turn it in the cell 1000 times a day
Shot drill
Pass heavy cannon balls up a long line of prisoners
Other Pentonville punishments
Whipping
Flogging
Chained up
Sleep on a hard bed
Simple and repetitive diet
Who designed Pentonville?
Captain John Jebb
What design did Pentonville have?
Based on separate system
5 wings radiating out of centre, at this point guards couldn’t see all prisoners
How did prison chaplains influence prisoners under separate system?
Supervised what they were taught
Only person they saw other than guards and delivered sermons
Why did Pentonville adopt the silent system later on?
1865 prisons act preferred silent system
1877 prisons act meant under control of home office so adopted silent system to reflect on religious teaching
Why did Pentonville become a place for execution?
Because newsgate prison closed so they took responsibility for execution
