by Claire Hulott

Created on: July 09, 2009

Penology refers to the part of criminology associated with the methods used for correction and punishment of offenders and the ultimate goal of prevention of crime. In early times it was considered that execution be the most cost effective form of punishment for offenders.

Located just off the coast of French Guiana, Devils Island became part of and remained within the French Penal Colony for 100 years until 1952. During the it's life the island housed all types of criminals including thieves, murders and political prisoners; of the 80,000 offenders who served under the harsh conditions on the disease ridden island few were seen again. Devils Island saw the arrival of it's last prisoners during 1938 and was finally closed in 1952.

The regime and standards of Victorian prions were designed to deter offenders from re-committing, it was believed that the hard labour and dirty cells were sufficient discomfort to encourage the offender the crime did not befit the punishment. The systems of Victorian and modern prisons differ in many ways, possibly three of the most obvious being the more humane and hygienic methods of toilet use and general cleanliness (no longer do prisoners suffer the bucket in their cell) or share their cells with rodents). Today's systems allow for education to degree or higher level and re-training. Food rations and lock -up times have changed dramatically, food is not only on greater in portions but more nutritious and various than in Victorian times and the time prisoners spend in their cells is reduced, mostly obviously in the over night time with the end of day now being 8.30 in the evening compared to 5.45 in Victorian times. The infirmary was an opportunity for Victorian prisoners to take respite from the hard working life, prisoners would use a variety of methods to gain time in the infirmary including the ingestion of soap to induce diarrhoea and vomiting, self wounding with copper wire to create a poisoning or the eating of ground glass and insects.

The declaration of independence in 1776 not only saw the end of the transportation of British criminal to the North Americas, but along with it the end of convict trade, no longer were the contractors able to sell the convicts to the American's for a profit. The closure of the North American ports to British prison ships after their independence in 1776 caused Britain to convert sailing ships into prisons. No longer able to send their convicts to Maryland and Virginia, Britain was

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