The State of Prisons of England, Scotland and Wales : Not for the Debtor Only, but for Felons Also, and Other Less Criminal Offenders / James Neild.
James Neild (1744-1814), penal reformer and philanthropist, first became interested in the welfare of prisoners after visiting a friend jailed for debt. He went on to investigate prisons across Britain, France, Flanders, and Germany, fundraising to release those incarcerated for petty debt. In 1772...
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| Online Access: |
Full Text (via Cambridge) |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge :
Cambridge University Press,
2011.
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| Series: | Cambridge Library Collection - British and Irish History, 19th Century
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| Summary: | James Neild (1744-1814), penal reformer and philanthropist, first became interested in the welfare of prisoners after visiting a friend jailed for debt. He went on to investigate prisons across Britain, France, Flanders, and Germany, fundraising to release those incarcerated for petty debt. In 1772 he helped establish the Society for the Relief and Discharge of Persons Imprisoned for Small Debts (the Thatched House Society), which succeeded in freeing over 16,000 debtors. Published in 1812, this work records the findings of Neild's thorough survey of debtors' prisons in Britain, and also discusses those imprisoned for other minor criminal offences. Neild exposes the harsh sentences assigned to debtors and petty criminals, using this evidence to support his campaign to improve the conditions of the prisoners and to stop imprisonment for debt. His efforts to improve the conditions of prisoners eventually influenced parliamentary reforms of the penal system. |
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| Item Description: | Title from publishers bibliographic system (viewed on 11 Apr 2014). |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (720 pages) |
| ISBN: | 9781108036993 1108036996 9781139095334 1139095331 |
| DOI: | 10.1017/CBO9781139095334 |