Crime and punishment in 1800s England Sherif Amin

Table of Content Punishment Connection to Great Expectations Debtors Increase in Crime

Punishment did not Fit the Crime Punishment was far more severe than warranted by the crime to act as a deterrent Punishment for crimes was often harshest possible (execution) Punishment was two-tiered: The poor tended to be arrested more often Children were also punished under the legal system (Jackson).

Great Expectations The descriptions of Jaggers’ working conditions were typical of the court and legal environment during the Victorian Era - working conditions and court rooms were similar to those depicted in the book - “hasty, the ventilation terrible, and the rooms unsuited, having been built for other purposes,” (Ratner). Jagger's room is not a courtroom. However, Dickens does uses it to describe the average office of the legal profession. Jaggers symbolizes the legal profession during Dickens's era

Debtors A debtor is a person that owes a debt to someone else Newgate was a prison for debtors Newgate was also mentioned in the book with Pip and Estella John Dickens’s - February 20, Sent to Marshalsea Prison (for debtors) - could not pay back debts - Reduced family to poverty; mother and children went with father to prison - Charles Dickens was sent to work in a factory as a child

Causes for Increased Crime During this time in England, the cities were overcrowded and the condition of living was poor. There was extreme poverty, and many children were forced to work so that they could support their families. There were many children that were homeless because of the wretched living conditions at the time. The children had to find a way to live, so they often turned to stealing (Phillips).

Works Cited Ratner, Dan. "Courtoom Experience in Victorian England at the time of Great Expectations." The Victorian Web: An Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr Phillips, Senia. “Great Expectations in Victorian England.” Jackson, James. "Crime and Punishment in Victorian England: The Law System Switch from Death Penalty, to More Humane Punishment." Georgian/Victorian Britain. N.p., 13 May Web. 18 Apr < britain.suite101.com/article.cfm/ "John Dickens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Main Page - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr "Crime and punishment in the 1800's." WUFF'S HOME PAGE. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr