The Criminal Prisons of London: And Scenes of Prison Life

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Criminal Prisons of London: And Scenes of Prison Life
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Henry Mayhew
By (author) John Binny
SeriesCambridge Library Collection - British and Irish History, 19th Century
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:738
Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156
Category/GenreBritish and Irish History
ISBN/Barcode 9781108036986
ClassificationsDewey:365.942109034
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Illustrations 54 Plates, black and white; 4 Maps; 39 Halftones, unspecified

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 8 December 2011
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Henry Mayhew (1812-87), social reformer and journalist, is well known for his classic work of research on the London poor (also reissued in this series) and as one of the co-founders of Punch magazine in 1841. While working as the metropolitan correspondent for the London Morning Chronicle, Mayhew initiated several investigations into London's poor and the state of the city's prisons. Sourcing his information from guards and from prisoners themselves, Mayhew's monumental study of London criminal life (co-written with John Binny and published in 1862) includes analyses of crime areas, crime classifications and the state of the different prisons connected to them, observations on juvenile delinquents, and methods of discipline and control of prisoners. The book also provides detailed police and criminal statistics. His survey ultimately concluded that all of London's prisons were lacking in basic human necessities and were greatly in need of reform.