Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

Crime and Punishment - continued (1700-1900 (Law Enforcement (Bow Street…

- - - - Factors for increased crime
        
        A movement of population to urban centres meant people knew each other less
        
        Larger towns made it easier for criminals to escape
        
        Criminals could form 'professional' gangs
        
        Extreme poverty lead to 'survival crime'
        
        More people in cities meant that crimes like fraud were more profitable and therefore more common
        
        Richer people in towns stood out (eg. on horseback) so were targets for crime
      - Highway robbery
        
        Improved roads meant people travelled by road more often
        
        Increased trade meant more goods and money were transported by road
        
        Roads were often isolated, making it much easier
        
        1772, it became a capital crime to be armed and in disguise on a highroad
        
        1830s
        
        Mounted patrols, especially of goods, made robberies less successful
        
        The growth of railways meant more trade/travel was conducted by trade
        
        Improvement of the banking system meant less money was transported
        
        Stagecoaches became popular, and were frequent, meaning crimes had to be fast
        
        The non-existence of banks meant that people often carried large sums of cash around with them while travelling
      - Poaching
        
        Poaching gangs led to increased poaching
        
        The 1723 Black Act was introduced to counter this, making it a capital crime, but was seen as unfair as hunting was a necessity - repealed in 1823
      - Smuggling (1740-1850)
        
        Import taxes rose again, stimulating smuggling, due to the large profits available
        
        Large smuggling gangs were created, which the mounted patrols couldn't catch easily due to the large amounts of coast, and the status of smuggling and a 'social crime'
        
        Seen as a social crime as smuggling led to cheaper goods becoming available
        
        Taxes cut in 1840s, leading to a fall in smuggling
        
        Made a capital crime under the Bloody Code
        
        Done mainly by lower-class farm labourers, due to the large amount of profit it allowed them to collect
    - - Witchcraft declined Decrease generally <--
        
        All laws concerning witchcraft were appealed by the 1736 Witchcraft Act, which assumed acts were those of fraudsters - thus, they were subject to fines, or imprisonment
        
        Economic and social changes led to increased stabiliy and prosperty
        
        The population became better educated, and therefore, less superstitious
        
        The Royal Society led to increased scientific experiments, explaining previous acts of 'magic'
        
        The death of Matthew Hopkins, as a prominant anti-Witch figure, ended the mass panic
      - The Tolpuddle Martyrs
        
        A group of farm workers in Dorset set up an early form of trade union, to protest about their lower wages
        
        The govt. feared loss of control over workers, and thus arrested them under an old navy mutiny law - sentencing them to the maximum, 7 years of transportation
        
        However, public support rose against this conviction (200,000+) due to the press, leading to mass protests - the Home Secretary decided to send them anyway
        
        Protests continued, and thus, they were pardoned and sent home in 1836
        
        Highlights how authorities used laws to criminalise those they thought of as a threat; they protected the interests of employers over all, and the pardoning illustrates the impact of public opinion
  - - - Established in 1749 to tackle the huge crime wave, and to prevent the loss of thief taker jobs, by the Chief Magistrate
      - At first, they charged fees and collected rewards, but were paid by the government by 1785
      - They tracked down criminals, and stolen property - from 1754, they patrolled on horseback
        
        Later patrolled major roads, but there were not enough of them to deal with the dramatic increase in the crime rate
      - Introduced new methods of finding crime - the first 'detectives'
        
        Shared infomation with others - the start of a crime intelligence network
      - Police
        
        The 1856 Police Act - made professional police forces, such as the MET, compulsory across the country. They were paid for by the government, and regularly inspected by officials
        
        They were tasked with detecting criminals after a crime had been committed - the aim being to deter crime
        
        Largely the work of Robert Peel
        
        The Met Police Act began the first professional police force in 1829
        
        Passed through Robert Peel, who set up a committee to inspect the issue of policing London - and the 1826 crime wave helped pass it
        
        1835 - Municipal Corporations Act allowed councils to set up forces in their areas, but only about half did.
        
        1839 Rural Constabulary Act - counties could set forces, and about 2/3 of the country did
        
        1878 - The CID was set up for the Met
        
        Met Police Officers
        
        Aim was to prevent crime and disorder, while remaining impartial
        
        Recruits were carefully chosen and trained
        
        Members had a uniform for identification
        
        Members were unarmed, with violence used as a last resort
        
        Focused on patrolling areas with high crime rates
        
        Unpopular, until they gained a reputation for being honest and trustworthy
    - - Thief Takers were mainly used - which acted on the large rewards offered by wealthy victims, e.g Jonathan Wild
      - Watch Acts
        
        Paid law enforcement officers locally (privately), but quite ineffective
  - - - Transportation ended in 1868
        
        Australia no longer needed forced labourers
        
        Some felt it was too expensive and not strong enough a deterrant
        
        More prisons had been built and were being used increasingly
    - - The failure of the Bloody Code
        
        Inspired by rapid growth in crime rates, it made up to 222 acts punishable by capital punishment, some seemingly minor
        
        However, it was clear it wasn't working, leading to increasing feelings of rehabilitation
        
        Punishments should be equal to the crime committed
        
        Corporal and capital punishments were inhumane aside from for very serious crimes
        
        Punishment should be about rehabilitating the offender
        
        Prison was seen as a good replacement - especially with the Separate/Silent System and new prisons being built (1842-77)
    - - Conditions were very poor, but were increasingly used as punishment
      - The popular belief was that prisons should be 'hard board, hard labour'
        
        However, reformers such as John Howard and Elizabeth Fry believed in rehabilitation
        
        John Howard's work led to the 1774 Gaol Act - which set out guidelines for the treatment of prisoners - and primarily sanitation and health
        
        Elizabeth Fry helped prisoners, especially female ones, with education, food and clothes
      - The work of reformers inspired Robert Peel Mainly the work of Peel
        
        He ended the Bloody Code, got Parliament to pass the Metropolitan Police Act, and tried to reform the prison system
        
        Peel's Bloody Code changes
        
        Reduced the amount of petty crimes for which the death penalty was available
        
        Wanted less harsh punishments, and to try and reform petty criminals
        
        The Gaol Act (1823)
        
        Stated that chaplains should visit prisons, that gaolers should be paid (to prevent mistreatment/corruption), and that chains shouldn't be used
        
        However, it was difficult to enforced as there were no Inspectors
  - - - There was a lot of fear for crime; not helped by pamphlets and newspapers, which spread the crimes in graphic detail - and also gave the perception crime was on the increase
      - Growing population, vagabonds, better roads, hue and cry becoming less effective also gave this impression
      - Nobles and upper class saw the poor people as threats to their property/wealth
      - Beliefs - people had the impression that all crimes should be deterred, thus leading to such a wide-spread use of the death penalty
    - - Whipping (humiliation), fines, house of correction (prositutes etc), transportation were other alternatives
      - Prison was used for vagabonds, debtors and those awaiting trial
- - - - New versions of old crimes, e.g. online theft, fraud and extortion
      - However, can now be carried out on a much larger scale
    - - Newer goods
      - Development of people-trafficking/drugs (MAIN CHANGE)
      - Still seen as a social crime (for lesser goods, e.g. cigarettes)
    - - Improved technology, transport and communications mean that these attacks can be much larger than before
    - - Changes in society leading to a need for new crimes
        
        Race crime
        
        Crimes can be given more severe sentences, if the motivation is a 'hate' crime (e.g. due to nationality, or religion)
        
        Drug Crimes
        
        Misuse of Drugs Act (1971)
        
        Development of newer, more dangerous drugs
        
        Controversial, as some believe it's a personal choice
      - Driving offences
        
        New due to advancements in technology and infrastructure
        
        e.g. Driving without insurance, speeding, driving while on a phone