Punishment in the 20th Century (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

How did the 20th Century Change How Offenders Were Punished and Reformed? - Summary 

In the 20th century, the focus of punishment moved from retribution to rehabilitation, particularly for young offenders. Borstals, youth custody centres, and attendance centres aimed to educate and reform young people through structure and discipline rather than cruelty. For adults, new systems like open prisons, probation, and parole gave offenders an opportunity to prove they had changed. The introduction of community service in the 1970s reflected a growing belief that offenders should repay the community rather than just serve time behind bars. Together, these reforms show how modern justice aimed to rebuild lives and reduce reoffending, rather than simply punish.

Alternative Ways of Dealing with Prisoners

• In the 20th century, attitudes towards punishment focused more on rehabilitation and reform 

  • This change in attitude resulted in the abolition of the death penalty in 1965 

• The government introduced a range of alternative methods to the traditional methods of punishment, such as imprisonment, including 

  • Borstals 

  • Open prisons 

  • Probation 

  • Parole 

  • Community service 

• The more humane approach to punishment continued into the 21st century

Borstals & Open Prisons

Borstals 

• The emphasis on rehabilitation applied to young offenders

• Many believed that young people would be easier to reform because their characters were still being shaped

• In 1902, an experiment on young offenders in Rochester Prison in Borstal, Kent 

• At the ‘borstal’, they educated the young offenders rather than punishing them 

  • They focused on 

    • Discipline 

    • Routine 

    • Authority 

  • There was some corporal punishment 

    • Whippings using the birch were given out, but this punishment was ended in 1962 

• This program was so successful that in 1908, the Prevention of Crime Act introduced ‘borstals’ for young criminals aged between 15 and 21 

  • In 1969, the maximum age was reduced to 17 years old 

• The borstal system was designed to keep young male criminals away from older criminals

• They became similar to boarding schools, with

  • Structured days 

  • Strict rules alongside education and sport

• Sentences ranged from six months to two years

• Borstals were abolished in 1982

  • As it became clear that most people reoffended after their release

• The abolition of borstals showed that further change and alternative methods to punishment were needed, which led to the creation of 

  • Youth custody 

    • It was used for violent young people and those dependent on drugs 

    • The aim was to teach them about self-respect and self-discipline 

  • Youth detention centres 

    • Replaced borstals and youth custody 

    • For boys aged 15 to 20 years old and girls aged 17 to 20 years old

    • The average sentence was six months, with three to 12 months of supervision 

    • They used a military-style approach to discipline, which failed to deter young people from committing crimes 

  • Attendance centres

    • They were designed to educate 10 to 21-year-olds 

    • Offenders attended daily or weekly classes in literacy, numeracy and practical skills 

    • Today, these centres are used for 18 to 24-year-olds

  • Young offenders institutions 

    • Same rules as prisons 

    • Used for boys aged 15 to 17 years old and adult men aged 18 to 21 years old 

    • They aimed to reform young offenders so that they would not live a life of crime 

Open Prisons 

• The first open prison in Britain was New Hall Camp, which opened in 1936 

• In an open prison, inmates are allowed to work outside the prison, including 

  • Market gardening 

  • Vocational work in workshops 

  • Working in the local community 

• Prison mates are chosen to go to an open prison if they are

  • Non-violent offenders 

  • Low risk of escaping 

    • As some open prisons, such as Ford in West Sussex, do not lock their doors, and there are no bars on the windows

• Education is also provided to these inmates, including vocational and academic courses, to achieve qualifications to help them gain a job when they are released  

• Some see open prisons as a soft option

  • However, they are cheaper to maintain and run than closed prisons

Probabtion & Parole

• Due to overcrowding in prisons, the government in the 20th century was forced to look at alternative methods to imprisonment 

  • In June 2020, the number of people imprisoned in England and Wales was 79,453 

• The system of probation and parole has helped to

  • Relieve the pressure on prisons

  • Provide support to prisoners 

  • Help prisoners prepare for a life outside of prison 

Probabtion 

• In 1907, the Probation of Offenders Act was first established 

  • Probation is offered as an alternative to prison 

• Probation requires the offender to 

  • Report to the police weekly, to meet with a probation officer

  • Not to re-offend 

• In 1982, offenders were given activities to do while on probation, such as 

  • Community service 

  • Counselling or rehab 

    • To address the root causes of their criminal behaviour 

  • Education, training and employment 

    • To improve their basic skills 

• The National Probation Service for England and Wales was established in 2001

  • Which centralised criminal and court services 

Parole 

• The Parole Board was established in 1967 

• It granted parole, which allowed prisoners to 

  • Leave prison before the end of their sentence 

    • This is based on good behaviour while inside prison 

• To achieve parole, prisoners are watched by a probation officer for six months before they are allowed to apply for early release 

• Prisoners on parole have to

  • Follow a set of rules 

  • Keep in touch with their probation officer 

• If any of the conditions are broken, the prisoner goes back to prison 

Community Service

• Community service was first introduced in 1972 

• This system has since developed and, in 2003, changed to ‘community payback’ 

  • This updated system orders offenders to spend 40 to 300 hours serving the community that they have harmed 

• The aim of community payback is to 

  • Punish the offender, without having them serve a prison sentence 

  • Force the offender to pay the community back for their crimes

• Those participating in community payback wear orange vests, often with ‘community payback’ on the back of them 

• Community payback has many positives, including:

  • It is cheaper than probation 

  • Effective with older offenders 

  • The local community can nominate a project or vote on how the community service is given 

  • Helps the community 

    • As the offenders remove graffiti or participate in street clean-ups

• However, it also has its weaknesses because 

  • It is not effective with younger offenders