NCJ Number
61670
Date Published
1978
Length
18 pages
Annotation
THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORK OF VICTORIAN PRISON CONSTRUCTION, THE TIMELAG BETWEEN IDEOLOGY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND PRACTICAL DESIGN PROBLEMS CONFRONTING PRISON ADMINISTRATORS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PENAL IDEOLOGY AND PRISON DESIGN IN THE VICTORIAN ERA IS SIMPLY EXPLAINED. VICTORIAN PRISONS WERE BUILT TO CARRY OUT SPECIFIC PRISON DISCIPLINE, IN THE SEPARATE SYSTEM, THE SYSTEM WHEREBY EACH PRISONER WAS TO SPEND THE WHOLE, OR SIZEABLE PORTION OF HIS SENTENCE ALONE IN HIS CELL, LEAVING IT ONLY FOR DAILY CHAPEL SERVICE AND EXERCISE PERIODS. THE PRISONER HAD NO CONTACT WITH FELLOW INMATES. ALTHOUGH THE CONCEPT OF THE SEPARATE SYSTEM WAS ARTICULATED YEARS EARLIER, IT WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE VICTORIAN ERA. ONE MAJOR REASON FOR THE DELAY WAS THE NEED TO CONVINCE ADMINSTRATORS OF THE EFFICACY OF THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER REASON WAS THE DESIRE TO KEEP COSTS DOWN. IN ADDITION, THE ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION, THE SILENT SYSTEM, AND HARD LABOR HAD ADHERENTS. IN THE 1830'S, A CONCERTED EFFORT WAS MADE BY SEPARATE SYSTEM PROPONENTS TO CONVINCE THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC OF THE SYSTEM'S SUPERIORITY. CONSEQUENTLY, ACTS OF PARLIAMENT WERE PASSED DEFINING AND LEGALIZING THE SEPARATE SYSTEM. NUMEROUS CONSTRUCTION DIFFICULTIES WERE ENCOUNTERED REGARDING PRISON DESIGN INCLUDING ADEQUATE SOUNDPROOFING, CHAPEL FACILITY STRUCTURE, HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS, AND VENTILATION DESIGN. ALL ELEMENTS OF THE SYSTEM SUCH AS LIGHTING FIXTURES AND ALARM SIGNALS WERE DEVISED, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, TO NEGATE ANY TENDENCY TO PRODUCE PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE PRISONERS. IN THE HISTORY OF PRISON DESIGN, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN SUCH A DEVOTION TO PENAL PHILOSPHY, NOT SUCH A DILIGENT ENDEAVOR TO SEE IT TRANSLATED INTO A PERFECT PRISON DESIGN. EXTENSIVE REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED WITH THE PAPER. (LWM)