| 1717-1776 |
Over
30,000 people are transported to the colonies in the West Indies and
America as punishment for crimes committed. The American victory in
the War of Independence means that sending convicts to America is
no longer an option. |
| 1776 |
Prison
ships, called hulks, are first used to house prisoners. The hulks
are moored on the River Thames and, as part of the punishment, the
prisoners are set to work at cleaning the river. |
| 1777 |
John
Howard publishes his highly critical survey of prisons in England
and Wales. |
| 1788 |
The
'First Fleet' of convict ships arrives in Port Jackson (now Sydney),
Australia. The fleet consists of 1030 people, of whom 548 are male
convicts and 188 are female convicts. Transportation becomes a well-used
punishment. It has been estimated that about one-third of all convicted
criminals were transported to Australia and Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). |
| Early
1800s |
The
number of offences carrying the death penalty reaches a high point.
Over 200 offences are now classed as capital offences. This includes
pick-pocketing anything worth more than 2s or stealing anything worth
more than £2. Juries become reluctant to convict people on minor
charges as they do not want to condemn a person to death. This becomes
an increasing cause of concern for the authorities. |
| 1808 |
The
penalty for pick-pocketing is changed from hanging to transportation
for life. |
| 1810 |
Work
starts on the building of a new prison in Durham. The new prison has
600 cells and takes it first prisoners in 1819. |
| 1823 |
The
Gaol Act was introduced to try and improve the system of criminal
justice. The death sentence is lifted from 130 minor offences, it
is ruled that jailers are to be paid wages rather than fees and attempts
at improving conditions in prisons were made (including forbidding
alcohol and ensuring that female prisoners were looked after by female
guards). |
| 1829 |
Sir
Robert Peel establishes the Metropolitan Police Force in London. The
'Peelers' or 'Bobbies' wore blue uniforms and tall hats and carried
truncheons in a deliberate attempt to look different to soldiers.
The first recruits were of poor cailbre: out of the original 2800
policemen, only 600 kept their jobs. Many were sacked because they
were drunk. |
| 1829 |
The
last hanging for forgery took place. |
| 1833 |
The
last hanging of a juvenile took place. |
| 1834 |
The
practice of hanging in chains or gibbet irons was formally abolished. |
| 1836 |
The
last hanging for arson took place. |
| 1838 |
The
first prison especially for juveniles, Parkhurst, was opened. |
| 1842 |
Pentonville
prison opened. This was a new style of prison, where prisoners were
kept apart under the 'separate system'. It ushered in a new phase
of prison-building: between 1842 and 1877 over 90 new prisons were
built. |
| 1847 |
Introduction
of the Juvenile Offences Act. Under the terms of this legislation,
children under the age of 14 (quickly raised to 16) had to be tried
in a special court. |
| 1853 |
The
Penal Servitude Act makes imprisonment a form of punishment. Previously,
prisons tended to be seen as places to hold prisoners awaiting trial.
|
| 1854 |
The
first reformatory school for juvenile criminals was opened. Using
harsh discipline, these schools tried to reform the behaviour of their
inmates. |
| 1856 |
Introduction
of the County and Borough Police Act. Under the terms of this legislation
any County or Borough had to form a police force if they had not already
done so. |
| 1857 |
Prison
hulks stopped being used. Conditions on board the hulks had never
been good and had become worse over time. |
| 1859 |
The
Reformatory Schools Act formalised the procedure for dealing with
all offenders under the age of 21. |
| 1860s |
Many
prisons introduce the 'Silent System' which forbids prisoners to talk
to one another and uses long, pointless labour as punishment. |
| 1861 |
Introduction
of the Offences Against the Person Act. This Act abolished the death
penalty for everything but murder and high treason. |
| 1862 |
The
last public flogging took place. |
| 1868 |
The
last convict ship arrives in Australia. The use of transportation
had declined dramatically from the early 1850s due to the increased
use of imprisonment and in face of opposition from the settlers in
Australia. In the period 1788-1868 over 160,000 people had been transported.
|
| 1868 |
The
last public execution took place. Michael Barrett was hanged at Newgate
for the Fenian bombing at Clerkenwell which had killed 7 people. |
| 1870s |
All
gaols, prisons and Houses of Correction were brought under central
government control. By 1878 the Home Office was responsible for all
prisons. |
| 1899 |
Children
could no longer be sent to an adult prison after this date. |
| 1902 |
The
use of the treadmill was banned. |
| 1902
|
Newgate
prison closed and Holloway became a women's prison. |
| 1902 |
The
first 'Borstal' school was opened in Kent. Borstals were used to house
juvenile criminals for most of the 20th century. They were closed
in 1982. |
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