Section C: changes in punishment c1900-present

What did the Children’s Act 1908 do?

It ended the hanging of children under the age of 16.

What was the purpose of the Infanticide Act 1922?

Mothers who killed newborn babies would no longer receive the death penalty.

How did the Homicide Act 1957 change the use of the death penalty?

It limited the death sentence to five categories of murder.

What impact did the Homicide Act 1957 have on executions?

Executions fell to an average of four a year instead of around fifteen.

What did the Murder Act 1965 do?

It suspended the death penalty for murder for five years.

When was the suspension of the death penalty made permanent?

1969.

Which crimes technically still carried the death penalty after 1965?

Espionage, arson in royal dockyards and piracy with violence.

When was the death penalty abolished for all crimes?

1998.

Why was abolition delayed in Parliament before the 1960s?

The House of Lords blocked abolition bills passed by the House of Commons.

Who was the Home Secretary most associated with abolition?

Roy Jenkins.

How did attitudes in the 1960s help abolition succeed?

Attitudes became more liberal.

Why was the case of Timothy Evans important?

He was wrongly executed, later shown to be innocent.

Why did the execution of Derek Bentley cause controversy?

He had learning difficulties and a low mental age.

Why was the execution of Ruth Ellis controversial?

She was pregnant, a mother, abused by her partner and public mercy was ignored.

Why was Broadmoor Hospital opened in 1896?

To house mentally ill prisoners separately from other prisoners.

What punishment ended in 1902?

Hard labour.

What was the role of probation officers introduced in 1907?

To supervise offenders living outside prison.

What changes were made to prisons in 1922?

The separate system ended and education increased.

What was the purpose of open prisons introduced in 1933?

To prepare prisoners for life after prison with a relaxed regime and day release.

What is an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO)?

An order restricting a person’s behaviour or movements.

What is community service?

Supervised work to benefit the local community.

What is restorative justice?

When offenders meet victims to understand the impact of their crime.

What is electronic tagging?

Monitoring and restricting an offender’s movements using a tag.

What is the purpose of drug and alcohol treatment programmes?

To help offenders whose crimes are linked to addiction.

What were borstals?

Prisons for boys designed to separate them from adult criminals.

When were borstals introduced nationally?

1908 under the Prevention of Crime Act.

Why were borstals created?

To rehabilitate young offenders through discipline, exercise and skills.

When were borstals abolished?

1982 by the Criminal Justice Act.

What did the Criminal Justice Act 1948 do for young offenders?

It reduced prison use and expanded probation and detention centres.

Who influenced the Criminal Justice Act 1948?

Alexander Patterson, who supported rehabilitation.

What change did the Children and Young Persons Act 1963 make?

It raised the age of criminal responsibility from eight to ten.

How did the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 treat young offenders?

It favoured care orders and supervision instead of prison.