The Prison Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict c 21) was an
Act of the
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Grea ...
that aimed to alter the way in which British
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...
s were operated.
Detail
By the 19th century, concerns had been raised about the uncoordinated and incoherent nature of the prison system in Britain. Many gaols were operated by local authorities, to a varying degree of quality. The
Prison Act 1865
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correct ...
had increased central controls over these prisons, but local practices continued to vary widely.
In 1877, Parliament took the major step of enacting a long-standing proposal to centralise the running of British prisons.
The
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national s ...
was given powers over the new structure, which was delegated in the act to the new
Board of Prison Commissioners, supported by an inspectorate and central staff. Further legislation was not felt necessary until 1895.
[Fox, pp.47-8.]
See also
*
Prison Act
Prison Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used in Malaysia and the United Kingdom for legislation relating to prisons.
List Malaysia
*The Prison Act 1995
United Kingdom
*The Prison (Escape) Act 1706 (1 Ann c 1)
*The Prison (Escap ...
Bibliography
*Anderson, Robert. The Prison Acts of 1877 and 1865. London. 1878
Catalogue
*Fox, Lionel. (2001)
The English Prison and Borstal Systems: an account of the prison and Borstal systems.' London: Routledge. .
*Wilkinson, Robert. The Law of Prisons in England and Wales, being the Prison Act, 1865 (28 & 29 Vict. c. 126), and the Prison Act, 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. 21). Knight & Co. Fleet Street, London. 1878
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Notes
References
{{UK legislation
United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1877
1877 in law