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Maconochie at Birmingham prison, 1849-1851: Reformative rhetoric and corporal practice

Moore, John

Authors

John Moore



Abstract

Both Alexander Maconochie and Birmingham prison feature prominently in the historiography of mid nineteenth-century punishment. Maconochie is portrayed as a benevolent reformer who invented the ‘mark system’; an innovative contribution to penal theory which sought to establish the primacy of reformation within state punishment. Birmingham prison was brought to national prominence less than two years after Maconochie’s departure with the death of a fifteen year old prisoner, Edward Andrews, and the subsequent Royal Commission investigation into his death and other abuses.

This paper explores Maconochie’s two year tenure at Birmingham between 1849 and 1851

Citation

Moore, J. (2014, October). Maconochie at Birmingham prison, 1849-1851: Reformative rhetoric and corporal practice. Paper presented at Sites of Confinement II: Problematising Prisons, Liverpool John Moores University

Presentation Conference Type Conference Paper (unpublished)
Conference Name Sites of Confinement II: Problematising Prisons
Conference Location Liverpool John Moores University
Start Date Oct 30, 2014
End Date Oct 30, 2014
Publication Date Oct 1, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Keywords penal excess, Birmingham prison, Alexander Maconochie, penal abuses, penal reformation
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/811352
Publisher URL http://www.europeangroup.org/sites/default/files/SoC_2_WorkShop_0.pdf
Additional Information Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Sites of Confinement II: Problematising Prisons

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Maconochie at Birmingham Prison, 1849-1851 Reformative Rhetoric and Corporal Practice (SoC - LJMU).pptx (594 Kb)
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