EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Prisons and Reforms
c1900-present · Chapter 4: Crime, punishment and law enforcement in recent times, c1900-present · Lesson 3 of 4
Learning Objectives
1. Describe how prisons and punishment changed after 1900.
2. Explain the changes in how young offenders were treated.
3. Evaluate alternatives to prison, such as community sentences and restorative justice.
Setting the Scene
By 1900 prison was the main punishment for serious crime. Over the twentieth century the aim of punishment shifted further towards rehabilitation - helping offenders change so they would not reoffend - and towards keeping young people and first-time offenders out of prison altogether.
1907 - The Probation of Offenders Act lets offenders serve their sentence in the community. | 1908 - The Children Act sets up juvenile courts; the first borstals open for young offenders. | 1936 - New Hall, the first open prison, opens. | 1948 - The Criminal Justice Act abolishes hard labour, penal servitude and flogging. | 1972 - Community service orders are introduced. | 1982 - Borstals are replaced by youth custody centres.
Changes in Prison
Prisons became less harsh, and focused more on changing offenders.
▸ Harsh methods end. The Criminal Justice Act of 1948 abolished hard labour, penal servitude and flogging.
▸ Education and work. Prisoners were given the chance to learn skills and gain qualifications.
▸ Open prisons. From 1936 low-risk prisoners could serve time in open prisons with few locks, preparing them for release.
▸ Numbers. Despite reforms, the prison population has grown, to over 80,000 in recent years.
Young Offenders
Young people came to be treated differently from adults.
▸ Juvenile courts. The Children Act of 1908 created separate courts for under-16s.
▸ Borstals. From 1908, borstals held young offenders aged 16-21, with strict discipline, education and training.
▸ Replacement. Borstals were replaced by youth custody centres in 1982, and later by young offender institutions.
▸ Aim. To stop young people becoming hardened criminals by keeping them apart from adult prisoners.
A Borstal Institution
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The first borstal institution opened at Borstal in Kent, and the Prevention of Crime Act of 1908 set up a national system. The aim was to train young offenders so they could lead honest lives. Borstal life ▸ Discipline. Strict routines and physical exercise. ▸ Training. Trades such as carpentry and farming. ▸ Education. Lessons to improve reading and writing. |
[picture could not be placed] Young offenders at a borstal, early twentieth century. |
Early twentieth-century photograph; public domain copies on Wikimedia Commons or a prison history archive.
Alternatives to Prison
Punishments that keep offenders in the community.
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Probation From 1907 offenders could be supervised by a probation officer instead of going to prison. |
Community service From 1972 offenders could be ordered to do unpaid work in the community. |
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Electronic tagging Offenders wear a tag that tracks where they are, allowing a curfew at home. |
Restorative justice Offenders meet their victims, hear the harm they caused and try to make amends. |
Does Prison Work?
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ARGUMENTS FOR PRISON |
ARGUMENTS AGAINST PRISON |
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▸ Protects the public from dangerous criminals. ▸ Punishes offenders - retribution. ▸ Deters others from committing crime. |
▸ High rates of reoffending after release. ▸ Expensive to run. ▸ Can make offenders more criminal. ▸ Community sentences can be cheaper and more effective. |
Key Terms
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Rehabilitation Helping an offender change so they do not reoffend. |
Probation Supervision of an offender in the community instead of prison. |
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Borstal An institution for young offenders, 1908-1982. |
Open prison A prison with few locks for low-risk prisoners. |
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Community service Unpaid work in the community as a punishment. |
Restorative justice Offenders meet victims to understand the harm and make amends. |
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Electronic tagging A device worn by offenders to track their location. |
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Summary
✓ Punishment moved towards rehabilitation after 1900.
✓ Young offenders were treated separately, in juvenile courts and borstals.
✓ Hard labour and flogging were abolished in 1948.
✓ Alternatives such as probation, community service and restorative justice keep offenders out of prison.
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EXAM FOCUS Explain why there were changes in the treatment of young offenders in the period c1900-present. (12 marks) Explain the reasons for change - the idea of rehabilitation, protecting young people from hardened criminals - and support each with specific examples. |