Prisons, Crime and Punishment

Utilitarian Prisons

a) Functions of prisons

• Wakefield: prisons are colleges of crime
• A debate about the function of prisons and how prisoner should experience incarceration.
• A deterrent climate?
• Prisons had varying prisoners: men, women, children, mentall ill, serious and petty, people awaiting trial.
• Each prison was run by a gaoler. They made up their own rules, making each prison different.

b) Forced Labour

• The Crank: Prisoner forced to turn a crank handle repeatedly as a form of punishment.
• Picking Oakum: Prisoners given…