Crime, Poverty and Reforms

At the end of the 18th century it was not just crime that was increasing but also poverty. The industrial revolution made many people rich but for many poor families (both in rural and urban areas) life was the worst it had been for a long time. As people moved into the towns and cities, the crime rate increased rapidly. Middle class people became alarmed at the increase in theft and rioting. Public disturbances occured quite often throughout the country.

Further pages A Time of Great Change The 19th century was a period of very rapid change. The first half of the century was very important in the development of Britain. Conditions in the Early 1800's With the Industrial revolution at its height, new industries and technologies were transforming everyday life. The New Poor Law The pressure to reform the poor law was sufficiently strong for the government to appoint a Royal Commission to report on the old laws, with a result that a new poor law was introduced in 1834. Riots and Disorder The early and mid 19th century was a time of great social unrest. There were several movements for change that led to civil distubance, covering many areas of the county. This led to a real fear, amongst those in power, of the possibility of revolution. Reformers There were a number of influential people who had an impact on both the severity of sentences and the way prisons were run. Sentencing and Prison Reforms During the 19th century, many changes occurred in the regulations convering sentencing and prison regimes. The main changes are listed here.

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