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1818 / The Treadmill (or Wheel) was introduced by Sir William Cubitt to provide useful employment for prisoners. It consisted of a large hollow cylinder of wood on an iron frame with steps about 7½ inches apart. The criminal, steadying himself by handrails on each side, trod on these, his weight causing the mill to revolve. Resistance was obtained by weights. Later it was used for grinding corn, pumping water etc.
1824 / Gaol Sessions Act. Gave responsibility for management of a county prison to the 'gaol sessions', a court of two or more Justices of the Peace.
1828 / Huntingdon County Gaol completed
1836 / Prisoners on trial for felony first allowed to employ defence counsel
1846 / County Courts established for the first time to replace the haphazard pattern of borough courts etc which were themselves a hang over from the manorial courts.
1853 / After complaints from the Australian colonies and a recognition of the evils of the system, transportation of convicts largely ceased. Instead, the sentence of penal servitude was substituted in a great many cases. Convicts were still transported to Western Australia but numbers fell to about 460 a year. Those sentenced to penal servitude in this country could obtain early release for good conduct. They were freed on licence or 'ticket of leave'. There was a great deal of public concern about the number of these released convicts scattered across the country.
1863 / A commission, under Lord Grey, appointed to look at the question of Penal Servitude, issued its Report. It recommended that the minimum sentence for Penal servitude should be 7 years, rather than 3. Secondly, it suggested that the principle of subjecting re-convicted criminals to severer punishment should be more fully acted upon. Thirdly, that convicts subjected to penal servitude should spend the first nine months in solitary confinement and then labour on public works for the rest of their sentence.
1864 / Act of Parliament put proposals into effect, except that minimum term set at 5 years for first offenders.
1865 / Prison Act
Male prisoners condemned to hard labour had to spend at least 3 months of their sentence on the Wheel or Crank (a hand version). Prisoners were medically examined before being put on the wheel.
Announced that transportation would cease entirely within three years.
1867 / Prisoners on trial for felony able to call witnesses for the first time.
1869 / Habitual Criminals Act
Designed to deal with concern about increasing numbers of 'ticket of leave' convicts caused by increasing crime and complete cessation of transportation. Main features were that anyone on a ticket of leave could be summoned before a magistrate. If they could not prove that they were making an honest living they could be sent back to prison.
The Act set up a system for national communication and centrally recording details of criminals.
"s5. For the better supervision of criminals a register of all persons convicted of crime shall be kept in London....."
s6. In order to make such register complete, and make the supervision over criminals effectual, the gaolers or governors of county and borough prisons...shall from time to time make such returns.....containing such evidences of identity and other information with respect to persons convicted of crime....."
Anyone committing a second felony, but not given penal servitude, would be subject to seven year's police supervision.
1869 / Imprisonment for Debt Act and Bankruptcy Act
Up until 1869, prisons housed not only criminals but also those imprisoned for debt. In this year the Imprisonment for Debt Act abolished this for most debtors. This abolition coincided with the Bankruptcy Act of 1869 which introduced a new means of dealing with debt. Only 'fraudulent debtors', i.e. those who lied about their assets, were in future committed to prison.
1871 / It was felt necessary to amend the 1869 Act to remedy various deficiencies. The Prevention of Crime Act 1971 largely re-enacted earlier measures but it also introduced compulsory photographing of all prisoners (previously carried out in only some gaols). During the Bill's Second Reading, the Earl of Morley quoted the following statistic.
"A register had been carefully kept at the central office in Whitehall of criminals convicted summarily or on indictment....The numbers were certainly appalling. Between 11th December 1869, when registration commenced, and 31st December 1870, no less than 35,633 persons were registered." (Hansard, 4th July 1871, cols. 1082-3)
1877 / The start of a National Prison Service
The responsibilities for management of county gaols were removed from the local 'gaol sessions' and given to the Home Secretary.. Thereafter, the gaol became 'HM Prison Huntingdon'.
1898 / Prisoners on trial for felony able to give sworn evidence for the first time.
1901 / First use of finger printing in a criminal case.