The Historical Context (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

Why did Prisons Like Lincoln Castle Gaol Need Reform in the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries? - Summary

By the late 1700s, prisons across Britain were in crisis. Overcrowding, disease, and corruption were widespread, and many gaols were medieval buildings unfit for purpose. The end of transportation to America and the failure of the “Bloody Code” meant more criminals were imprisoned at home. Reformers such as John Howard, Sir George O Paul, and Elizabeth Fry demanded better conditions, separation of prisoners, and opportunities for moral reform. As ideas about punishment changed, prisons like Lincoln Castle Gaol and Prison had to modernise, leading to the building of new facilities based on reform, order, and discipline.

The State of Prisons in the Late 18th Century

• Prisons have been used in England and Wales since the medieval period 

  • Medieval castles had dungeons 

    • Used for rebels or hostages 

• In the 18th century, gaols were temporary holding spaces for criminals 

  • Used to hold people who were 

    • Awaiting trial 

    • Awaiting punishments 

    • Indebted 

• Money was key in gaols as gaolers would charge prisoners for 

  • Food 

  • Bedding 

  • Clothes 

  • Any other necessities 

• By the 18th century, around 4,000 people were imprisoned in Britain 

  • This number is low, as most criminals were transported 

• In the 18th century, pressure began to build on bridewells and gaols due to 

  • The American War of Independence 

    • Stopped criminals from being transported to the American colonies 

  • Judges preferred the punishment of transportation rather than using the ‘Bloody Code’ 

    • As transportation was an issue due to the American War of Independence, criminals were left in gaols 

  • Population growth and urbanisation 

    • Increased crime and criminals 

• The conditions of gaols were poor, and they did not concern people until the 18th century, as the pressure put on prisons highlighted their problems 

  • There were no set rules 

  • Buildings were not fit for purpose 

  • No segregation of the sexes or criminal classification 

  • Prisons were overcrowded 

  • Diseases were rampant 

    • In the 18th century, 25% of prisoners in gaols died every year from diseases 

Pressure from Reformers to Improve Prisons

• The idea of using prisons as a way to reform criminals started with the Houses of Correction in the 16th century

  • It was believed that criminals could be reformed through hard labour 

• Three key individuals pushed for prison reform in the 18th century

  • John Howard 

  • Sir George O Paul 

  • Elizabeth Fry 

• John Howard investigated prisons in Britain and Europe and used his findings to create the 1777 book The State of Prisons 

  • Which argued that the following issues with prisons must change immediately 

    • Levels of death among prisoners 

    • Corruption in prisons 

    • Lack of separation of the sexes 

    • Lack of security 

    • Medical treatment for prisoners 

    • Lack of opportunity for prisoners to reform 

• Sir George O Paul also conducted his own investigation into prisons and agreed with Howard. He argued that prisons should 

  • Be separated 

    • Men, women and children should all be separated 

  • Have workshops and chapels 

    • To learn skills and to be allowed to reform 

  • Have good ventilation 

    • To prevent the spread of diseases 

  • Allow prisoners to have regular exercise 

    • To help prevent illness 

• Elizabeth Fry fought for prison reform for female prisoners and worked with Newgate Prison, where she 

  • Created a chapel 

  • Educated female prisoners and children 

  • Provided bedding 

• Fry’s work at Newgate prompted the government to pass the 1823 Gaols Act 

  • Which improved prison conditions in England and Wales 

Impact of the Bloody Code on Prisons

• The ‘Bloody Code’ was the nickname for the Criminal Code created in the 17th century 

  • By the 18th century, over 200 crimes were punished by death 

    • Created to act as a deterrent  

• The only alternative to being executed was transportation 

• In the 18th century, judges were reluctant to use the death penalty 

  • Undermining the system and making sentencing inconsistent  

    • By 1800, one in ten death sentences actually resulted in death 

• Many MPs, such as MP Sir Samuel Romilly, and members of the public debated the effectiveness of the ‘Bloody Code’ as 

  • Crime was increasing 

  • Deterrence no longer worked 

• Sir Robert Peel became the Home Secretary in 1822

  • In 1823, he abolished the death penalty for 100 crimes 

• The criminal system in the 18th century had additional pressures placed upon it due to the American War of Independence in 1776

  • As it ended, transportation to America

• Whilst a new transportation location was being found, criminals were kept on board anchored prison ships known as ‘hulks’ 

  • Conditions on the hulks were awful 

    • A public inquiry into the conditions helped to improve them 

• In 1788, transportation to the penal colony of Australia started 

  • It continued until 1868

    • When imprisonment at home became the main punishment for criminals