Crime and Punishment

During the nineteenth century there was a steady increase in levels of crime in Britain. The causes of this can be linked to the industrial revolution, which resulted in more and more people living in towns, and to an increase in population levels. In 1800 there were about 16 million people living in Britain. One hundred years later this figure had risen to almost 42 million!

These developments meant that the 1800s witnessed many developments in policing and punishment. At first, the response to increasing levels of crime led to the Bloody Code. This saw crimes being punished by severe penalties. During the early 1800s more than 200 types of crime could lead to death by execution! In the hundred years between 1800 and 1900 3524 people were hung in England and Wales, 1353 for murder.

Other punishments

Other punishments included transportation where criminals were sent to Britain's colonies, such as Australia. In theory, this was for a limited period, but few ever returned home. Transportation was a good alternative to the death penalty for less severe crimes and had the added benefit of removing the criminals from Britain.

By the mid 1800s attitudes had changed. Only murder and treason led to the death penalty. In 1867 transportation was stopped thanks to pressure from the colonies themselves and the expense of transporting convicts. Also, many people were beginning to question the effectiveness of transportation in deterring others from committing similar crimes. Instead, prison sentences became more common and prisons themselves were improved.