Abstract
Pain and Retribution: A Short History of British Prisons, 1066 to the Present begins as any criminal justice book should, by reminding the reader that prisoners are people, not monsters, and should be treated accordingly. Throughout Britain’s history, prisons have been used both extensively and sparingly for a number of different purposes. David Wilson reviews the many uses of prison in England and Wales, and to a lesser extent Scotland, starting in 1066 until the present. A number of different periods in Britain’s penal history are explored throughout the book. Wilson also describes the three key audiences that determine the legitimacy of the penal system: the public, prison staff, and the prisoners.
Prior to the 19th century, prisons served a different purpose than modern day prisons and often looked dramatically different from current institutions. The Tower of London, perhaps the most infamous prison in Britain, demonstrates many of the differences between early prisons and 19th-century prisons. First, the Tower of London was not built to be a prison and lacked many of the security features commonly associated with prisons. Instead, guards were tasked with ensuring that prisoners remained incarcerated. Second, prisoners were housed in relative luxury with the ability to purchase luxury items or to pay for better accommodations. Conversely, prisoners without the ability to pay were often housed in crowded thieves’ holes with little food and no luxury items. Third, the main purpose of prisons was to house prisoners until they could be sentenced. Prisons were not considered a form of punishment. Finally, the numbers of sanctioned cases of torture and execution have been exaggerated. Most likely because the public could pay for admission into many early prisons where guards had a tendency to over exaggerate prison stories.
A number of prisoner advocates emerged during the early 1800s, including Elizabeth Fry and John Howard, however, extensive changes would not occur until 1868 and the formal abolition of transportation as a form of punishment. Until this point, prisons were only used as a short-term solution to house prisoners until they could be transported or to house prisoners with short sentences. However, the first national penitentiary was finished in 1816 but suffered numerous problems and failed to demonstrate an adequate level of legitimacy to the public, prison staff, and prisoners. The Prisons Act of 1877 gave the state the responsibility of prison operations and began the process of turning prisons into private places shielded from public scrutiny. At this point, the main goals of prisons became punishment and deterrence. Nevertheless, the Gladstone Committee, in 1895, recommended that prisons be characterized by elasticity and rehabilitation with recidivism as a key determinate of the success of the system.
Shortly after, from 1908 to 1939, England and Wales experienced decarceration at a time when crime rates increased 160%. Scotland experienced a similar decarceration from 1899 to 1928. Decarceration was most likely due to the introduction of probation as a sentencing alternative and the fact that many politicians and social groups viewed the prison system as corrupt and counterproductive. At the same time, psychologists, psychiatrists, and educators became increasingly involved in the system. Prison began to be viewed as a punishment in and of itself without further punishment against the prisoner warranted. Further reforms began in 1948 with the passage of the Criminal Justice Act which abolished penal servitude, whipping, and hard labor. Between 1945 and 1966, a number of key Acts were passed with the intention of improving the correctional system. Unfortunately, many of these Acts appeared effective only on paper with few prisoners experiencing their value. During this time, prisons were still relatively private institutions shielded from public scrutiny.
Prisons entered the public domain starting in the late 1960s following the escapes of three high-profile prisoners. A new classification system emerged as a result of these escapes that called for the classification of prisoners based on their likelihood of escape and potential dangerousness to society. Two methods were utilized to house the highest classification of prisoners. The dispersal system placed small numbers of these individuals among several institutions with appropriate security measures. Conversely, the highest risk offenders were all kept together in a facility that emphasized art and community involvement. Ironically, the public did not approve of the latter method complaining that prisoners were being treated too well. Firsthand accounts by prison guards from the late 1960s to the early 1990s characterized this period as violent, often describing incidents of guards victimizing prisoners.
More recently, the brutal murder of a 2-year-old boy by two juveniles in 1993 has sparked continued debate and public awareness of the prison system leading to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994 creating new standards for juvenile offenders. Politically, this event has led to both the Conservative and New Labour parties adopting “tough on crime” platforms. The prison system is also becoming increasingly privatized, as more facilities are being run by private organizations versus the state. Overall, the prison system has not completely changed since its earliest creation but still exhibits some of the same characteristics and flaws.
Wilson creates a compelling picture of prison life across centuries by focusing on the lived experiences of prisoners and prison staff whenever possible. The information is also presented in a friendly and informative manner that draws the reader into the material. Pain and Retribution would be a suitable read for any prison enthusiast or within a criminal justice or corrections classroom. However, the reference system is somewhat cumbersome for the classroom, and readers without prior knowledge of British history or of British colloquialism may have difficulty fully understanding parts of the book.