Fry
and Gurney made their tour of prisons in 1818, over 40 years after Howard
had reported his findings. Take a close look at this source (an enlarged
version and transcript are
available) to see if any progress had been made.
1. Make
a list of all the faults contained in this report about the various
Durham prisons.
2. Why
would the authors express concern that prisoners were not being 'classified'?
3. What
do the authors mean by 'ironed only when refractory'?
4. What
is meant by 'they find their own firing'? What consequences might this
have for some prisoners?
5. What
features of the new Durham prison do they like?
6. What
other features would the authors like to see in the new Durham prison?
7. Has
there been any improvement since John Howard visited?
8. Having
read these extracts, what principles in running a prison are important
to Fry and Gurney?
Once
you have finished, find out more about Fry and Gurney's views on the
purpose on punishment and the role of prisons.
