Charles (Jean-Marie) Lucas, born in

Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. History Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...

, on 9 May 1803, died in Paris on 20 December 1889) was a French prison reformer. Lucas was a French jurist and administrator, author of many books and articles on the

abolition of the death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

, the theory of preventive detention, law enforcement and imprisonment, and finally the civilization of war.

Biography

Early years (1803-1830)

Charles Lucas was born in

, in northeast of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, in a family of notables. His father, Antoine Charles Lucas, after a long period of having governmental jobs, gained a fortune that allowed him to send young Lucas to finish his studies in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. Charles Lucas followed his studies at the Royal College of Bourbon. In September 1820 while he was still a student, he began to recite poems on the birth of Henri, Count of Chambord the Duke of

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

. The school headmaster, then, kept him on a close eye. In 1821. he enrolled at the School of Law.

Academy of Moral and Political Sciences

Lucas succeeded

Pierre-Louis Roederer Comte Pierre Louis Roederer (15 February 1754 – 17 December 1835) was a French politician, economist, and historian, politically active in the era of the French Revolution and First French Republic. Roederer's son, Baron Antoine Marie Roeder ...

in Chair 4 of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques in 1836. He obtained 10 votes against 6 for

Alexis de Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his works ...

, then 13 against 8. In 1890,

René Bérenger René Bérenger, born in Bourg-lès-Valence (Drôme) on 22 April 1830 and died Alincourt (Ardennes) on 29 August 1915, was a French lawyer, judge, and politician. Life He was the son of Alphonse-Marie-Marcellin-Thomas Bérenger, and followed his ...

(1830-1915) succeeded him. In 1836, Charles Lucas was president of the Council (organized by him) of general inspectors of prisons. Lucas dedicated his career and his life to three major reforms: the abolition of

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

; the theory of preventive, punitive and penitentiary imprisonment; and finally the civilization of war.

Inspector General of Prisons (1830-1865)

Noted for his writing on the abolition of the

and the prison system, Charles Lucas was appointed, the day after the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after the first in 1789. It led to the overthrow of King ...

, inspector general of prisons (1830-1865). A company was formed in 1833 following the example, but on broader bases, of a similar establishment already founded in Strasbourg. Beneficial men, Chamber of Peers (France), deputies, Conseiller d'État , magistrates, citizens , responding to the call of Charles Lucas. Charles Lucas
/ref>

Later years

In 1865, Charles Lucas, suffering from blindness, ceased his professional activities. He nevertheless continued to actively follow the development of penitentiary institutions, writing brochures and articles, participating in major penitentiary congresses and to official committees. That year, he presented at the

Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...

an important account of the program, the importance and the results of the abolitionist movement in Europe.

Works

* ''De la réforme des prisons ou de la théorie de l’emprisonnement'', (1836-1838) ;
''De l'emprisonnement individuel sous le rapport sanitaire et des attaques contre lui''"> ''De l'emprisonnement individuel sous le rapport sanitaire et des attaques contre lui''
;
''Du système pénal et du système répressif en général, de la peine de mort''
(1826) ;
''Du système pénitentiaire en Europe et aux Etats-Unis''
(1834) ;
''Exposé de l'état de la question pénitentiaire en Europe et aux Etats-Unis, suivi d’observations de Tocqueville''
;
Appendice à la théorie de l'emprisonnement, ou ''Réponse aux écoles opposantes en général, et à l'école pennsylvanienne en particulier ; suivi de Quelques mots sur la réforme des prisons de la France''
;
''Conclusion générale de l'ouvrage sur le Système pénitentiaire en Europe et aux États-Unis ; suivie de la Deuxième pétition aux Chambres sur la nécessité de l'adoption du système pénitentiaire''
File:Lucas, Charles Jean Marie – Du systeme penal et du systeme repressif en general, de la peine de mort en particulier, 1827 – BEIC 13737976.jpg, ''Du systeme penal et du systeme repressif en general, de la peine de mort en particulier'', 1827

Notes

References

People from Saint-Brieuc 19th-century French people French jurists French anti–death penalty activists Commanders of the Legion of Honour Members of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques 1803 births 1889 deaths Prison reformers 19th-century jurists {{France-law-bio-stub