Pentonville prison Flashcards

All 7 cards in this deck

When did Pentonville prison open?

1842, as a 'model' prison in London with 520 separate cells.

What was the separate system?

Keeping each prisoner isolated in their own cell, working and worshipping alone, so that solitude and religious reflection would make them feel remorse and reform.

Give one reason Pentonville prison was built.

To put into practice a new aim of reforming and rehabilitating prisoners rather than only punishing them (it also provided places as transportation declined).

Give one weakness of the separate system in operation at Pentonville.

Total isolation caused mental illness, with high rates of insanity and suicide among prisoners; it was also expensive to run.

Give two features of Pentonville's design that kept prisoners apart.

Any two of: individual cells equipped for work, washing and sleeping, so prisoners seldom left them; walls too thick to talk through; masks worn at exercise; separate cubicles in the chapel.

Give one strength of the separate system at Pentonville.

It was much cleaner than older prisons, with far less disease (and many thought it was a fair level of punishment).

How was the separate system meant to stop prisoners becoming worse criminals?

Keeping each prisoner apart meant first offenders could not learn from or be influenced by hardened criminals, as happened in older shared prisons.