Abstract
AbstractWhile the introduction of central-government inspectors for prisons in a British act of 1835 has been seen as a key Whig achievement of the 1830s, the Irish precedent enacted by Charles Grant, a liberal Tory chief secretary, in the early 1820s, has gone unnoticed by scholars. The article sets out to trace the Irish prefiguring of this measure and, in the process, to consider prison reform in the United Kingdom in the early nineteenth century in a more transnational manner. A new analysis of the critical years between 1823 and 1835 in both Britain and Ireland based on a detailed examination of parliamentary inquiries and legislation shows how developments in the two countries overlapped and how reforms in one jurisdiction affected the other. This article explores the channels through which this exchange of knowledge and ideas occurred – both in parliament and through interlinked penal-reform philanthropic societies in both countries. This article also highlights inadequacies with the theory supported by some scholars that Ireland functioned as a laboratory for British social reform at this time, and instead suggests a more fluid exchange of ideas in both directions at different times.
Highlights
While the introduction of central-government inspectors of prisons in the British Prisons Act of 1835 has been seen as a key Whig achievement of the 1830s, alongside the new factory and poorlaw inspectorates, the Irish precedent set by liberal Tory reforms in the early 1820s has gone unnoticed by scholars
The essay sets out to trace the Irish origins of this reforming measure and in the process to establish prison reform in the United Kingdom as more of a transnational issue
A new analysis of the critical years of 1823-35 in both Britain and Ireland based on a detailed examination of parliamentary inquiries and legislation will show how developments in the two countries overlapped and of how Irish reforms affected British policy
Summary
While the introduction of central-government inspectors of prisons in the British Prisons Act of 1835 has been seen as a key Whig achievement of the 1830s, alongside the new factory and poorlaw inspectorates, the Irish precedent set by liberal Tory reforms in the early 1820s has gone unnoticed by scholars.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
