The original church penitentiary for the reclamation of
fallen women was founded in 1806 in London. There most well known centre was set up by former British
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
in 1848. Its aim was the
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...
-based
rehabilitation of women, including
prostitutes,
thieves
Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
, the
homeless,
alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
s etc. They were
charitable organisations and not in place for the punishment of crimes.
The Church Penitentiary Association existed from 1852 until 1951. There are records on the association in the Library at
Lambeth Palace, the seat of the
Archbishop of Canterbury in London, and in the
National Archives.
These also have holdings on related societies such as the
Navvy Mission Society (now Industrial Christian Fellowship), the Temperance Council of the Christian Churches (now the Churches Council on Alcohol and Drugs) the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
Council for Social Aid, the
Band of Hope
Hope UK is a United Kingdom Christian charity based in London, England which educates children and young people about drug and alcohol abuse. Local meetings started in 1847 and a formal organisation was established in 1855 with the name The Uni ...
(1855–1990), and the Church Moral Aid Society (1852–1892).
Rescue work for unmarried mothers:
An example of a nonconformist institution of this kind is the Manchester and Salford Asylum for female penitents, Embden Place
Greenheys.
[''The sixteenth report of the Manchester and Salford Asylum for female penitents, Embden Place Greenheys: with a list of the subscribers and benefactors for 1839''. Manchester: Printed by William Simpson, 1839]
See also
*
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent i ...
*
Homelessness
*
Occupational therapy
*
Penology
Penology (from "penal", Latin '' poena'', "punishment" and the Greek suffix '' -logia'', "study of") is a sub-component of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress criminal activiti ...
*
Prostitution
*
Rehabilitation (penology)
References
* ''Prostitution: Prevention and Reform in England, 1860–1914'' by Paula Bartle; London: Routledge, 1999; pp. i–xi, 1–229
{{DEFAULTSORT:Church Penitentiary
Social welfare charities based in the United Kingdom
Women's prisons
1806 in England
19th century in England
Criminal justice
Women in history
Patriarchy
Prostitution law