Crime and Punishment in 20th Century UK

This assignment delves into the history and complexities of crime and justice in 20th century United Kingdom. It examines various sources including academic articles, books, and online resources to analyze changing perceptions of crime, legal frameworks, and penal practices. The focus encompasses topics such as gender roles in crime, sexuality regulation, youth delinquency, prison reform, and broader societal inequalities impacting the criminal justice system.

Criminology - Issues in Criminal
Justice History

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1 (1800-1914).......................................................................................................................1
1.1 Changing patterns of crime and punishment in 19th and 20th century Britain: Class,
gender and age criminal profiles.................................................................................................1
1.2 Founding the police: crime, public order and state...............................................................2
1.3 Ideas of prison and prison reform form theory to practice....................................................3
PART 2 (1914-1939).......................................................................................................................4
2.1 Crime and punishment: penal policy and penal experience..................................................4
2.2 Police and policing: tradition, reforms and power and campaign for women police...........4
2.3 Gender, crime and justice: Vice and virtue...........................................................................5
2.4 Crime and young: social class, gangs and juvenile delinquent.............................................6
PART 3 (1939-1960).......................................................................................................................6
3.1 Gender and regulation: state regulation, public morality and policing of sexuality.............6
3.2 Penal policy and prisons: continuity, change and campaigns for reforms............................7
3.3 Police powers, corruption and reform: policing in post war period......................................7
3.4 Youth crime: Teddy boys, mods, rockers and new moral panic of 1950-60........................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Crime and criminal activities are very much increasing nowadays in Britain and this is
not new to the economy of Britain. Crime is very serious threat to the public, innocent people
and for the policy makers of the government. It is important for the government and the rule
maker of economy to regulate the flow of justice and equality in state so that all the people of
country are living in peaceful way. The present module will be providing a framework for
examining the development of criminal justice system and construction of crime problem in
the period of 1800 till the time of 1960 in Britain into three parts. It will cover various types
of crime and there justice system like that of gender, class, age and the ideas of prison and its
reform in 1800-1914 (Tompson and Edwards, 2015). Report will also cover institutional
development with socio historical analysis of changing problem of crime. The aim of report
is to provide a broad historical survey of central aspect of crime and criminal justice in 19th
and 20th century Britain.
PART 1 (1800-1914)
1.1 Changing patterns of crime and punishment in 19th and 20th century Britain: Class, gender
and age criminal profiles
Britain in early and mid 19th century saw a very different type of rule and regulation
and the type of punishments were also different for all. Like it was divided on the base of
class, gender and age criminal profiles. The main was influenced by gender and behavioural
documentation in the Old Bailey proceedings (History of Crime in the United Kingdom,
2017). There was changes in crime and punishment of 19th and 20th century Britain as the
industrial revolution was occurring which was mitigating people from countryside to
developing industrial towns. These people who were regarded to as factory workers were
living in the slum houses which were all over crowded and this poor condition lead to
criminal activities. All the different types of criminal were given their nicknames according
to the crime they were involved in. At that time there was lack of formal police system in the
over crowded areas and tenement blocks which means that there was very little efforts to stop
them. All the punishment was based on gender, class and age of the criminal who was
involved in particular crime. And because of this the role of gender, particular responsibility
of each sex were shaping everyday live and pattern of crime (Authority, 2014). The gender
inequality was mainly derived by classical thought, Christian ideology and contemporary
science. Both of them were considered as different as men as stronger sex was regarded to as
intelligent and women on the other hand was more dominated by emotions and controlled by
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men of the house. In between 1674-1913 women were regarded to only 21% of the total
crime in Britain and this changed in the year 1690-1740 to that of 40%. Women were only
limited to certain small crimes like that of pick pockets, shoplifting and theft or kidnapping
from the houses (History of Crime in the United Kingdom, 2017). And only woman were
taken as the accused in the cases of crimes like rape, infanticide, concealing a birth and
unlawful abortion.
Also, the criminal were simply regarded as to the lower class of people who were
involved in crimes as they were poor and low paid workers who want a life of luxury. They
were called to as dangerous class who were like waiting for the opportunity for crime or
disorder. The upper class people who were generally rich did not want to steal or murder
someone as they were already leading a luxurious life (Sherman, Neyroud and Neyroud,
2016). At the Victorian time in Britain only capital crime like that of murder and rape were
given punishment and the small crime like of theft were not given any punishment. As the
small crimes were almost done by the age group of below 18 and there was not specified
punishment which was decided by power in Britain for them.
1.2 Founding the police: crime, public order and state.
The word police in the 18th century Britain was not that much used as this was not
introduced to any particular institutional as there was the rule of Victorian at that era. The
English men saw themselves as living in the land were there was social liberty to do as per
their need. So there was no need of law and order in the country and police was only to
maintain the records (Choy and Farrington, 2017). The term police and policing was then
taken up into three phases and there was also many debates on the work and operations of
police in Britain.
 1750-1850 was the time of old police who were all local and informal one.
 1829-1890 was the period of new police whose work was to do patrolling in their area
and to prevent the rule break.
 1890-1950 was the golden age of policing which they actually came out as they are in
the present times.
According to the traditional view in policing and police there was inevitable development
which was mainly driven by economic and urban changes. According to Whig view policing
was the sign of progress within society and it was also product of rationality and
humanitarianism. There are always debates on history of policing and as per the revisionist
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view of 1970 policing emerges as discourse of opposition to professional forces and this was
linked to social control and emergence of class society which was industrial revolution that
was linked to Marxist theory.
The old police in the period of 1750-1850 police was local, informal and private so
they were of not that much importance to society. Police at that time were of 4 types:
 Part-time and amateur- parish constables.,
 Income from fee for arresting criminals- acting constables.,
 Additional constables., and
 The one who were funded by the local tax payers- watch men.
Then this calls for a more formal category of police as they were unprofessional, corrupt and
unfit for the purpose as they were unable to control public demonstrations. At that time there
was many reforms which were taking place from time to time and among those major one
was industrial revolution (Bucerius and Haggerty, 2017). Also, there was legislation for new
police i.e., metropolitan police in 1829 Improvement act and involved 3000+ uniformed
constables in 1835 Act there required the establishment of police force countrywide. All the
public was concern about power of new forces and the fear that bobbies will now become
state police.
1.3 Ideas of prison and prison reform form theory to practice
Prison reform was the act of revolutionised the conditions of prison by establishing
effective penal system and implementation of alternative to kind of punishment within prison.
In the earlier centuries prisons have only been used is the primary punishment for criminals
in Britain. And before the introduction of these prisons various other punishment types were
used like public humiliation and penal bondage and that also for only the severe offences and
capital punishment. In the 18th century London there were various type of justice measures
which was used in order to punish the criminals like in the way of fines, pillory and whipping
(Newburn and Morgan, 2007). Transportation was also a type of punishment given which
was alternative to hanging the person to death in which the criminal was transported to
colonies to serve their prison sentence. This was a form which provided society to get rid of
those criminal till 1776 this was done to transport them to America. John Howard was a
reformer of prison condition who in 1777 visited many jails and appealed that there must be
separate cell for women, men, young and debtors offenders. In 1779 Penitentiary act was
passed in which there was stated to have different prison cell for both men and women and
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the jail fee was also abolished in 1815. There was a tradition in which not even the
magistrates and investigators were allowed to see inside prison which only lasted till 1970
and in 1890 the prison population was increased to 20000+.
PART 2 (1914-1939)
2.1 Crime and punishment: penal policy and penal experience.
By the 1900 police in Britain was accepted by the society, crime rate was lower down
and there was a question which was raised as to the purpose of punishment in Britain. In the
starting of 20th century government of Britain was of the view of establishing reforms rather
than that of punishment (Gelsthorpe and Sharpe, 2006). All the young criminals were
removed from adult justice system and they were kept out of police custody in 1907. In 1902
Borstal school for the young offenders were started to give them a better training and
education to make them good citizens. Unemployment and family background of ex-
prisoners often led them again to crime to avoid this they were given better employment and
wages in factory. At the age of Victorian prison were there on 1750-1900 where reforms was
there to make prison less brutal place for prisoners.
The visit of family members were also allowed but under less restrictive areas. There
was also building up of workshops, giving them chance to work and earn for themselves
inside prison only. But in the year 1960 there was a rise in crime rate in Britain which lead to
more punitive actions of court and in jail (Newburn and Morgan, 2007). Many of the law
breakers were given longer sentence to jail punishment which increased over crowding of
jails therefore worsening the conditions and lesser opportunity to work. In 1970 there was a
serious prison riots in Strange-ways prison and in Manchester prison in the year 1990.
2.2 Police and policing: tradition, reforms and power and campaign for women police.
Police is that part of the government of a country whose work is to maintain law and
order in nation and to give certain amount of punishment to those are found guilty of
breaking law. They are the organised civil force for maintaining order, preventing and
detecting crime and enforcing the law. Policing is the procedure which is followed by police
in order to maintain and enforcement of regulation (Tompson and Edwards, 2015). From the
year 1914 to 1939 was considered to as the golden age of policing and there were several
major changes taking place with the impact of World War 1st and there also was an expansion
of police duties. Police at that time were given more power and thus they began to abuse their
powers by exploiting public. The police forces were continued with the local control of their
area also giving rise to women police force. Many larger cities were also having their own
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police forces like that of Liverpool and Manchester Watch committee appointed by elected
town council. The Chief constables reported to standing joint committee made up of
magistrates and elected country councils.
In the late 19th century the use of police matrons in case in which women and children
were involved was there. During the 1st World war there was establishment of women police
patrols and parks, cinemas and all public places were included to ensure good moral
behaviour. The new development of women police in the streets were also taking place in the
year 1915 about 2301 female patrols in 108 towns and cities in Britain and Ireland was there.
In the year 1918 Sir Neville Macready who was the police commissioner of London at that
time introduced a woman police force for London which was called as National Union of
Women Workers (NUWW) (History of Crime in the United Kingdom, 2017). This force also
lead the campaign for the appointment of women police during inter war period and beyond
which was for then legal right of women and children. In 1930 the main duties of women
police was of patrolling, dealing with women and children, clerical work, plain clothes duty
and detective work.
2.3 Gender, crime and justice: Vice and virtue.
During the 19th and 20th century England there were most remarkable reforms were
there and the biggest one is of industrial revolution, impact of gender inequality and the
increase of crime and criminal system (Gender, crime and justice in 20th century UK). At
that time 61% of men and only 44% of women were found guilty. If the men were convicted
then they were subjected to harsh range of punishment than that of women 8% of women
were only fined and then released if they found guilty. For women imprisonment of 1 year
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Illustration 1: Female prisoner from 1900-2010 UK

was the most famous sentence and transportation of 7 to 14 years were given in sever offence
made by women. This transportation was also considered better for the young offender which
was separation from family and friends. After this and because of the impact of gender on
sentencing polices were overemphasized and then women were subjected to tough penalties.
2.4 Crime and young: social class, gangs and juvenile delinquent.
The youth crime emerged in 1700 which was all effect of industrial reforms and
family life. This created much fear in public and the criminal activities of certain boys gang
in Britain. This was very clearly seen in daily newspaper and popular press in 1800 juvenile
crime was the headlines at those times (The Idea of Juvenile Crime in 19th-Century England,
2017). All these activities which were done by gang of boys were trained young boys who
were taught to steal and then give the goods to their boss. At that time Thomas Duggin in
1817 was a thief trainer who trained 13-14 year old boys how to steal who worked in
London's St. Giles slum. In the first half of 19th century Britain this youth crime was seen as a
serious problem especially picking of pockets was troublesome.
Juvenile delinquent is the serious offence by young person below that age at which
they could not be punished or criminal prosecution was impossible. Problem of juvenile
crime in Britain was increasing in the 19th and 20th century and this was leading to decline in
morality of young people. There was also seen the high profile case which involved children
like the killing of toddler James Bulger by tow boys in 1993 Liverpool.
PART 3 (1939-1960)
3.1 Gender and regulation: state regulation, public morality and policing of sexuality.
Sexuality is always been regulated by law as there are many countries which have
their law which are influenced by sexuality. In the 19th and 20th century UK there were many
rules about the criminal activities which were regulated by feminist and the way in which
men and women sexual behaviour is judged and understood (Sexuality 1880–1928, 2017).
UK is actually having a long history of gender inequality and discrimination on many bases
like age, race and religion. The major reform in this came in the year 1945 which lead to
more confidence and more open minded nation. Women were regarded as minority and they
were protesting about inequality for at least a century and in 1928 they were given the right to
vote on equal terms as men. Between 1940 and 1950 they were still campaigning through for
equal pay and then gained public sector in 1955 (How is sexuality regulated in law? 2017).
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State regulation is meant to the expansion to rule making, monitoring and
enforcement techniques by the government of a country. While public morality refer to moral
and ethical standard which is enforced in a society by either law or police and is majorly
applied to public life and to that on content media.
3.2 Penal policy and prisons: continuity, change and campaigns for reforms.
Penal policy is the procedure which is laid down by court on the law offender which
mainly involve charging of fine. In the 19th century there was larger transformation towards
penal policy under Victorian prison system. All the prisoners in the jails and prison of Britain
were not only looked up as the law breaker by they found the need to rehabilitation as well.
That was the reason as the young offenders were treated in a separate way to that of adults
(Unequal Britain: equalities in Britain since 1945, 2017). The Prevention act in 1908 was
introduced for this purpose for the criminals under the age of 21 so Borstal was established.
After the 2nd World War the use of prison and the population of prison was increased which
raised to 20000+ in 1908. In this year only there were about 13% of prisoners who were
women and serving sentences either linked to prostitution and suffragette movement. And
this population of women prisoners raise to 205% in 1960 because of which Holloway prison
in UK was declared to as only prison for women.
3.3 Police powers, corruption and reform: policing in post war period
Policing in 2nd World War was the especial and new responsibility of police which
they need to perform to air raid shelter, aftermath of bombing and ensuring rationality was
enforced. There were also man power problem to reserve recruitment and retired officers and
women. Women police in the 2nd World War was arranged and in 1940 out of total 181 police
force did not employ any female officer. The Women Police Campaign committee (WPCC)
was supported by feminist and mainstream women organisation which demanded for
appointment of women polio to every frock and this should en made compulsory. After
World War 2nd women police were taking the same duties like that of men police and in 1948
women accepted into police federation. Post World War 2nd there was a shortage of police
recruit up to 20% and there was an increase in police brutality in 1954 (History of Crime in
the United Kingdom, 2017). The Daily Mail in 1955 exposed the bribery and corruption
among the police officers in London West end and in 1956 Metropolitan police inspector was
fired for allegedly assisting prostitutes.
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3.4 Youth crime: Teddy boys, mods, rockers and new moral panic of 1950-60.
In the late 1950s there was a famous showdown between nods and rockers of Britain
they were the teenage boys who were committed to mayhem on the rain swept street like that
of south resorts Margate and Brighton. In 1960 the showdown between them both faded away
and they setting the pattern of tribal violence this was known as moral panic (Mods and
Rockers: two tribes go to war, 2017). In 1960 these gangs reappeared in Glasgow and the
were all young violent and dangerous to public. All these group of young boys were involved
in youth crime and breaking the rule and regulation in UK. Among them Teddy boys were
the original rebels of UK they were emerging from the post war in 1950 and then others
followed their foot steps like muds, rockers etc., While muds and rockers were the tow
conflicting British youth group in early 1960. All the media covered their fightings in 1964
and this sparked moral panic about youth of Britain.
CONCLUSION
In the above module about the criminology and issue of criminal justice in Britain
from the time of 1800 to 1960. There are many reforms which have been taken under this
time period in both 1st and 2nd World War and their post war effect. There was introduction of
new policing methods and new techniques in policing the population of prison was increasing
after the 2nd World War. In 1960 the public trust and confidence in police was vanishing as
there were many cases of police corruption and brutality. There was a significant evidence
changes and continuities in development of policing from old to new police.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Authority, U. S., 2014. Assessment of compliance with the code of practice for official
statistics: statistics on crime in England and Wales. Assessment Report, 268.
Bucerius, S. M. and Haggerty, K. D., 2017. Narrative Criminology: Understanding
Stories of Crime. Edited by L. Presser and S. Sandberg (New York: New York
University Press, 2015, 318 pp.£ 29.99 UK).
Choy, O., and Farrington, D. P., 2017. Explaining the gender gap in crime: The role of
heart rate. Criminology, 55(2), pp.465-487.
Gelsthorpe, L. and Sharpe, G., 2006. Gender, youth crime and justice. Youth crime and
justice, pp.47-61.
Newburn, T. and Morgan, R., 2007. Youth justice (pp. 1024-1060). Oxford University
Press Inc.
Sherman, L., Neyroud, P.W. and Neyroud, E., 2016. The Cambridge Crime Harm
Index: measuring total harm from crime based on sentencing guidelines.
Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 10(3), pp.171-183.
Tompson, L., and Edwards, P., 2015. UK open source crime data: accuracy and
possibilities for research. Cartography and geographic information science,
42(2), pp.97-111.
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Gender, crime and justice in 20th century UK, 2017 [Online]. Accessed through:
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+crime+and+justice+in+20th+century+uk&source=bl&ots=pk1_-
TSs8w&sig=qcOcK_mLvewYbnFBRFpOT5fBimw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahU
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KEwjRuouyjonYAhWHs48KHT4SD_kQ6AEIXTAI#v=onepage&q=Gender
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how-sexuality-regulated-law>
Mods and Rockers: two tribes go to war, 2017 [Online]. Accessed through:
<http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140515-when-two-tribes-went-to-war>
Reforming prisons, reforming prisoners, 2017 [Online]. Accessed through:
<http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/olympic-britain/
crime-and-defence/reforming-prisons-reforming-prisoners/>
Sexuality (1880–1928), 2017 [Online]. Accessed through:
<https://www.routledgehistoricalresources.com/feminism/essays/sexuality-1880-
1928>
The Idea of Juvenile Crime in 19th-Century England, 2017 [Online]. Accessed through:
<http://www.historytoday.com/heather-shore/idea-juvenile-crime-19th-century-
england>
Unequal Britain: equalities in Britain since 1945, 2017 [Online]. Accessed through:
<http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/unequal-britain-
equalities-in-britain-since-1945>
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