Pentonville Prison Research Paper

Pentonville Prison can be argued to be significant in changing the health and living conditions within British prisons, the purpose of prisoner punishment and influencing the designs and systems used within the British prison system between the years 1842-1856. It would be described as a model prison that all others took large influence from, in design, prison system, healthcare of prisoners and its purpose of reforming prisoners. However some historians such as Priestly would argue that Pentonville was an ‘expensive waste’ and not significant in changing or improving any aspect of the British prison system. Yet despite this I would argue that the sources 1,5 and 6 demonstrate that the opening of Pentonville Prison in 1842, was to a small extent, …show more content…
Indeed source one demonstrates how ColdBath Fields Prison took to building extensions in order to fulfil the separate system and how ‘its extension, by the annexation of successive erections at different periods, will at a glance convince every dispassionate inquirer that the idea of confining prisoners in separate cells in a gaol.’ The extension it refers to was in 1850 and as shown in figure one representing the same shape and design as that of Pentonville Prison. Therefore source one highlights how Pentonville was significant in the sense it did influence the design and operations of prisons. this idea being expressed further by Vincent where he states ‘The prison is built on the Pentonville, or 'silent' system’ when talking about Exeter prison during its construction in 1855 further expressing Pentonville’s significance. The tone of source one demonstrates Mogg’s inherent dislike for this type of confinement as evidenced through ‘dispassionate inquirer’ and though this may make the source un-reliable what it does is demonstrate is that Pentonville was beginning to have an impact on …show more content…
Where historians argue Pentonville influenced the designs of 54 prisons after its construction in fact there were far fewer. With this figure being taken out of context. Source two presents the title prior to this figure that reads ‘statements showing the prisons which have been erected or improved on the Pentonville Plan during the last few years, or that are now in the course of Erection or determined’ thus identifying how prisons which were built or changed in anyway, such as the likes of Hertford or Shrewsbury in which merely cell alterations were made, whether in connection to Pentonville or not were accounted for in this sum reducing the significance of Pentonville. Therefore source 2 present the argument that Pentonville was far less significant than suggested in source 1. Written for the select committee, a government funded and created body, to asses the Separate System, on face value could seem to hold a one sided view. Barrowman explains that ‘the Government have it in their intention to build a prison to serve as a model to others’ therefore making the Select Committee itself open to being heavily influenced to provide evidence that supports the government and their intentions to make Pentonville a model prison. However, due to source 2 not