Case study: The seperate systems at pentoville prison

Question 1

Why was Pentonville prison built?

Answer 1

As a prototype for the separate system.

Question 2

What were the 5 main things the separate conditions intended to do?

Answer 2

• Provide prisoners with an opportunity for individual improvement.
• give prisoners solitude to reform through religious faith and self-reflection.
• to ensure prisoners weren’t influenced by worse criminals.
• to deter people from crime because of the seriousness of the punishment.
• to ensure retribution.

Question 3

What three things were designed in Pentonville prison to add to the isolation of the prisoners?

Answer 3

• Walls were thick to stop prisoners from communicating through walls with each other.
• Prisoners worked alone in their cells doing repetitive boring jobs.
• When they were aloud to go to chaple or exercise they wore face masks and in the chaple sat in separate cubicles to stop any communication.

Question 4

What was the effect of solitary confinement on the prisoner’s mental health?

Answer 4

Many suffered from mental illnesses and psychosis, high suicide rates.

Question 5

What was the aim of the 1865 Prison act?

Answer 5

to enforce a strict, uniform regime of punishments in all prisons.

Question 6

What did Sir Edmund Du Cane, The Assistant Director of prisons declare about the treatment of prisoners that supports that the main aim of prison reform was deterrent?

Answer 6

That they would get:
Hard labour: 12 hours of work a day
Hard fare: Deliberetly boring and bland diet
Hard board: wooden board beds to sleep on instead of hammocks as prisoners had recieved previously.