Crime And Criminality In 19th Century England

Crime and criminality are never simply a matter of laws, procedures, courts and penalties; they are the subject of conversations and debates, fears, fantasies and fascination.

Customary histories of crime and criminality in nineteenth century England usually begin with the social changes brought about by industrialization. The social upheaval caused by population growth and urbanization, precipitated a response from social reformers, and commentators who determined to solve criminal elements within society by agitating for change. The judiciary reacted by introducing laws and procedures tailored towards governing the masses that had flocked to densely populated metropolitan areas looking for work. . Judicial developments were not a simple solution to crime, and did not occur in isolation from contemporary debates concerning the ‘problem’ of juvenile offenders. They were formed in concert with

The fears and anxieties that were pronounced in the social commentaries of Miles and Dickens were supplemented by the work of Mary Carpenter. It was Carpenter’s belief that juvenile offenders came from two classes, the ‘perishing classes’ and the ‘dangerous classes’. The former were those who had not committed crime, but were likely to in future as a consequence of their destitution and ignorance. The latter were those who were aware that they could gain more through criminality than they could from honest work. Carpenter had made the connection between a poor home environment, and criminal potential in children. The resulting discourse on juvenile delinquency shaped the consciousness of legislators and public who accepted the idea that juvenile criminals were a product of a poor environment, neglected by inadequate parents with only crime to turn to as a means to survive. The solution was to remove children from the influence of their surroundings, and ‘reform’