It is remarkable how life’s experiences can shape one’s views but not always in ways that are obvious. Take, for example, a trip I made in the nineteen sixties to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in the American Mid-West. Whilst there I met a Democratic Congressman whose life was dramatically changed when he was convicted of embezzling several million dollars from an electorate, which then applauded, and re elected, the judge who sent him down for forty seven years with no parole. A sentence like this may sound harsh to some, but the Judge took account of the effect on the lives of those people he had swindled, many of whom lost fifty years worth of savings & pensions and had to sell their homes, cars and possessions.
When I met him the ex Congressman was repentant to the point of organising and teaching Dale Carnegie self improvement courses for his fellow inmates, so that when they were paroled, the virtues of thrift, hard work, charity and honesty might govern their future actions. His motives were, at this point in his life, honourable and worthy.
A few weeks ago I was again in prison, but this time it was Lincoln Jail. The old jail is within the castle walls adjoining the Cathedral and, after looking at one of the original copies of Magna Carta, (one of only four in existence) we then wandered around the prison and heard about life in jail including what it was like during the reign of Queen Victoria. Lincoln is the only complete surviving example of what were known as Separatist Prisons and followed the example of Quaker prisons in Pennsylvania. The idea being that prisoners could be brought to repentance and to see the errors of their ways by being isolated from each other, and by not being allowed to see the face of any fellow prisoner until their sentence was complete.
Isolation was achieved by separate cells and the wearing of leather masks whenever the prisoners exercised or worked. They were obliged to attend church and were allowed to remove their masks only when they were locked into small boxes comprising pews. Removal of their masks enabled them to see only the preacher on the raised pulpit at the end of the stepped court shaped room, but prevented vision in every other direction. The preacher on the other hand, could fully see the guards and prison governor but could only see the faces of the prisoners. During the two hour sermon, the prisoner could rest his bottom on a sloping seat, similar to the misericords (mercy seats) in cathedral choir stalls. I found it interesting to learn that even in1842 prisons were seen as places of reform and not simply punishment.
It is easy sometimes to listen to those who give the impression that the Victorians were an industrious, heartless lot, intent only on world domination through exploitation. I was pleased therefore to find that they were also as keen on rehabilitation, albeit using different methods, as many liberally minded folk today.
Whilst in the Lincoln area we also spent time in a Victorian workhouse, and again discovered that concern for the deprived people of the world is not the sole preserve of those with modern degrees in sociology. Reverend Becher founded the Southwell Workhouse in 1824 and its primary purpose was to give food, shelter and work those people who were down on their luck whilst, at the same time, making sure that they were not encouraged to become idle by being better off than those who were working outside.
By today’s standards living conditions in the Workhouse were basic, but we must compare against conditions for working people of the time. What was however clear, is that residents were encouraged to get outside work and could leave whenever they chose. Whilst inside they were categorised as either ‘deserving poor’ or ‘undeserving poor,’ the idea being that the Parish (who had to pay the bills) wanted to help those in genuine need but not those who could work but chose not to do so. Imagine the situation today were we in the Parish required to categorise the jobless into ‘deserving poor and undeserving poor.’ It would take courage to make such decisions. No wonder we pay bureaucrats to do it on our behalf.
It was however interesting to realise that the Victorian problems of crime and indolence were exactly the same as those we face today, and that we are no more successful in dealing with them than were they. It does however; probably cost us a darn sight more.
Talking of Prisons, Work Houses and Criminals however, reminds me that when my friend and I went to Malvern for the National Sheep Association show in July, he jokingly observed that although he could see thousands of shepherds he couldn’t see many crooks. I laughed but replied that, like their Victorian ancestors, many shepherds today still appear to rank amongst the deserving poor.
View from the Pew 