Laws and Prisons Mitchell Hecht and Jordan Lincoln
Prisons in the Victorian age were very different than the prisons of today. The definition of a prison is a building for confinement of persons sentenced or awaiting trial for crime; a place of captivity. Victorians were worried about the rising crime rate which went up from about 5,000 per year in 1800 to about 20,000 per year in 1840. They were firm believers in punishment for criminals, but faced a problem: what should the punishment be?
Overcrowding, poverty and drunkenness were widespread, and so too was crime, particularly theft. The problem was not crime, it was overcrowding in the cities. It reflected here first because prisoners were housed and fed at the expense of the government. As a temporary measure, the government put prisoners onto hulks on the River Thames in London and elsewhere. British government searched for new places that would receive convicts, this time in large quantities. Several places were considered, including parts of Africa, but in 1786, Botany Bay, on the southeast coast of Australia, was chosen as the best site for a new penal colony where hundreds were executed.
During the 18th century the number of crimes punishable by death rose to about 200. Some, such as treason or murder, were serious crimes, but in other cases people could be sentenced to death for what we would think of as minor offences. For example, the death sentence could be passed for picking pockets, stealing bread or cutting down a tree. These were the kinds of crime likely to be committed by those in most desperate need.
Debtors prison was a place where they took people who couldn't pay their taxes, rent or debts. These places were commonly called workhouses where they would make potato sacks, baskets and other mass-produced items. These are very similar to the ones in the Charles Dickens novel "Oliver Twist". A debtor's prison could also be a small jailhouse that looks like a small house or shed. This would be a place for debtors and their families to stay in for a short sentence. Normally, if a debtor had family, then they would accompany him in prison.
Prisons in the Victorian age were way harsher than prisons of today. For example, if you were to steal a car today you would just be put into prison for a few years as if back in those days they might be executed. Today we have discontinued the transporting of criminals to Australia. Percentages of executions have declined tremendously since early 1800s. Jail houses today are also way larger and treat their criminals terrible.
Laws and Prisons Mitchell Hecht and Jordan Lincoln
Prisons in the Victorian age were very different than the prisons of today. The definition of a prison is a building for confinement of persons sentenced or awaiting trial for crime; a place of captivity. Victorians were worried about the rising crime rate which went up from about 5,000 per year in 1800 to about 20,000 per year in 1840. They were firm believers in punishment for criminals, but faced a problem: what should the punishment be?
Overcrowding, poverty and drunkenness were widespread, and so too was crime, particularly theft. The problem was not crime, it was overcrowding in the cities. It reflected here first because prisoners were housed and fed at the expense of the government. As a temporary measure, the government put prisoners onto hulks on the River Thames in London and elsewhere. British government searched for new places that would receive convicts, this time in large quantities. Several places were considered, including parts of Africa, but in 1786, Botany Bay, on the southeast coast of Australia, was chosen as the best site for a new penal colony where hundreds were executed.
During the 18th century the number of crimes punishable by death rose to about 200. Some, such as treason or murder, were serious crimes, but in other cases people could be sentenced to death for what we would think of as minor offences. For example, the death sentence could be passed for picking pockets, stealing bread or cutting down a tree. These were the kinds of crime likely to be committed by those in most desperate need.
Debtors prison was a place where they took people who couldn't pay their taxes, rent or debts. These places were commonly called workhouses where they would make potato sacks, baskets and other mass-produced items. These are very similar to the ones in the Charles Dickens novel "Oliver Twist". A debtor's prison could also be a small jailhouse that looks like a small house or shed. This would be a place for debtors and their families to stay in for a short sentence. Normally, if a debtor had family, then they would accompany him in prison.
Prisons in the Victorian age were way harsher than prisons of today. For example, if you were to steal a car today you would just be put into prison for a few years as if back in those days they might be executed. Today we have discontinued the transporting of criminals to Australia. Percentages of executions have declined tremendously since early 1800s. Jail houses today are also way larger and treat their criminals terrible.
"A Victorian Prison." A National Archives. The National Archives, Web. 11 Feb 2010. <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/lesson24.htm>.
"Executions." Conditions in Prison and Types of Punishment during the 19th century. The National Archives, Web. 11 Feb 2010. <http://www.schools.bedfordshire.gov.uk/gaol/background/prisonconditions.htm>.