Attitudes Towards Punishment

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Prisons in Modern Britain

Prison continued to be the main method of punishment but the aim of prison shifted from retribution to reform.

Changing nature of prisons

The early 1900s saw a move away from hard labour in prisons.
In 1922 the practice of solitary confinement was also ended.

The problem of understaffing

Prisons were the main method of punishment but due to rising prison populations and understaffing the way prisons were used had to change.

Open prisons

Open Prisons were first introduced in 1933.
Those who had committed minor offences, or were serving the last of their sentence or simply not deemed to be a threat to society were allowed out of prison during the day to work and had to return in the evening.

Suspended sentences

Suspended sentences were introduced to first-time offenders in 1967, and became available on January 1, 1968.
You could suspend your sentence and not be incarcerated, but if you committed another crime within a specified time period you would be ordered to go straight to prison.

Community service

Community service was introduced in 1972 where offenders were required to do between 40 and 300 hours of unpaid work to benefit their community.

Tracking offenders

New technology saw the introduction of the electronic tag in 1990. These tags enabled courts and the police to track the movements of offenders and place curfews upon them too.

Changing Treatment of Young Offenders

Attitudes to juvenile crime began to change in Modern Britain.

Young offenders in Victorian Britain

In Victorian Britain treatment of young offenders was harsh.
- They were viewed as juvenile delinquents and treated exactly the same as adults.
- They were imprisoned and forced to complete hard labour.

Borstals

By 1902 attitudes had changed and many felt that young adults were able to change.
Borstals were introduced to encourage reform.
Young offenders were placed in borstals, which were similar to an extremely strict boarding school.

Youth Detention Centres

The use of borstals was ended in 1982.
They were replaced with Youth Detention Centres.
- These were designed to offer a short, sharp, shock to those detained within them.
The programme of military drill and strict discipline did not work as planned and re-offending rates increased.

Youth courts

Nowadays sentences may start with parents being fined for not controlling their offending children.
Youth Courts work with young people with the aim of preventing a young person resorting to a life of crime.

1Medieval England, 1000-1500

1.1Changing Definition of Crime in Medieval England

1.1.1Early Medieval Society

1.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

1.2.1Enforcing the Law in Medieval Society

1.2.2Punishments in Medieval England

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Medieval Society

1.3Case Studies From 1000-1500

1.3.1The Church

1.3.2End of Topic Test - The Church

1.3.3Grade 9 - Medieval England

2Early Modern England, 1500-1700

2.1Changing Definitions of Crime

2.1.1Early Modern Society

2.1.2Crime in the Early Modern Period

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Crime

2.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

2.2.1Punishments in Early Modern Society

2.2.2Law Enforcement in Early Modern Society

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Law Enforcement

2.2.4Grade 9 - Early Modern England

2.3Case Studies From 1500-1700

2.3.1Key Individuals

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies 1500-1700

2.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies From 1500-1700

318th & 19th Century Britain

3.1Changing Definition of Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.1Society in Industrial Britain

3.1.2Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Industrial Britain

3.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

3.2.1Punishment in Industrial Society

3.2.2Punishment in Industrial Society 2

3.2.3Policing in the Industrial Period

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment

3.3Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.1Changes to the Prison System

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.3Grade 9 - 18th & 19th Century

4Modern Britain, 1900-Present

4.1Changing Definition of Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.1Society in Modern Britain

4.1.2Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Modern Britain

4.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

4.2.1Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.2Attitudes Towards Punishment

4.2.3Capital Punishment

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.5Grade 9 - Modern Britain

4.3Case Studies 1900-2000

4.3.1Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.2End of Topic Test - Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies 1900-2000

5Whitechapel Local Study

5.1The Geographical Area & Living Conditions

5.1.1Accommodation in Whitechapel

5.1.2Living Conditions

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Whitechapel Local Study

5.2The People of Whitechapel

5.2.1Alcohol & Immigration

5.2.2Prostitution

5.2.3Racial Tensions

5.2.4End of Topic Test - The People of Whitechapel

5.2.5Grade 9 - Whitechapel

5.3Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.1The Police Force in Whitechapel

5.3.2Jack the Ripper

5.3.3Challenges Facing the Police

5.3.4End of Topic Test - Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.5Grade 9 - Policing Whitechapel

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