The use of prisons to punish and reform in the 19th century
To begin with, people saw prisons as just another means to make criminals suffer and punish them for what they had done wrong. Towards the end of the 18th century, this attitude began to change. People began to think of prisons as a way to help criminals live normal lives once their sentence had been served.
Attitudes to prisons before the 19th century
Prisons were rarely used in the 16th and 17th centuries as they were not seen to provide retribution or deterrence. They were used to hold people before trial and before their capital or corporal punishment was carried out. Conditions in these prisons, or gaols, were poor.
Houses of correction were used in Tudor times and were sometimes called bridewells. Their aim was to To make changes to something or someone, for improvement. persistent beggars and provide 鈥榗orrection鈥 for unmarried mothers. There were also debtors鈥 prisons, where those in debt remained until their debts were repaid.
In the 18th century, prison conditions were poor and many people began to suggest that they should be reformed. In 1777, John Howard published a report on prison conditions called The State of the Prisons in England and Wales. His main observations were:
- prisoners were not separated by gender or type of crime
- many prisoners were dying of illness and disease
- jailers, or gaolers, were often corrupt
- too few people were employed in the prisons to make them secure and safe
- jailers would demand fees to release prisoners - many prisoners stayed in prison beyond the end of their sentence as they could not afford these fees
Howard recommended that prisoners should be kept in solitary confinement to prevent the spread of negative influences and to give them time to reflect on their wrongdoing. He believed prisons could be places that reformed criminals. His research and opinion were influential in bringing about a change in attitudes towards the function of prisons.
Other reformers also began demanding changes to prisons to make them more secure and hygienic. Sir George O Paul designed a new prison in Gloucestershire that was based on four key principles - security, health, separation and reform. It had separate areas for male and female prisoners, as well as a chapel, workrooms and exercise yards.
Attitudes to prisons in the 19th century
The pressure for reform of prisons continued through Elizabeth Fry. She campaigned for better conditions for female prisoners at Newgate Prison. She spent time teaching inmates skills, such as sewing and literacy, so that they could become law-abiding members of society when they were released.
Fry convinced many people that the current prison conditions were inhumane and uncivilised. Fry鈥檚 campaign helped to change attitudes towards the role of prisons and the rights of those held within them. Fry also campaigned for the rights and welfare of prisoners who were being To send a convicted criminal to a prison camp overseas, such as in America or Australia.
1823 Gaols Act
The pressure from the reformers led to the 1823 Gaols Act, which stated that:
- prisons should be made secure
- jailers should be paid
- female prisoners should be kept separately from male prisoners
- doctors and chaplains could visit prisons
- attempts should be made to reform prisoners
Prison reformers promoted the belief that prisons should be designed and run to reform prisoners. This became the dominant attitude in the 19th century. Increasingly, it was believed that prisoners could be reformed through hard work, reflection and Christian teaching inside prisons.