Coldbath Fields
Coldbath Fields Prison was a prison today Coldbath Square in Clerkenwell the north London district of Islington .
description
The city prison had existed since the 17th century , rebuilt in 1794, and expanded to accommodate approximately 1,000 prisoners in 520 cells during the 19th century , when Australia increasingly refused to accept English prisoners. Until it was converted into a men's prison in 1850, remand prisoners and short-term prisoners of all ages and sexes, including around 300 children between the ages of 9 and 17, were imprisoned.
Coldbath Fields was known for its physically and mentally tough conditions, but more modern than London's Newgate Prison . For this purpose a system was silence ( silent system ) that any conversation with fellow banned and a solitary confinement system ( separate system ), which should allow the detainees constantly think about his actions, combined with hard work (as punishment). The repressive treatment should be a repentance and a deterrent.
The prisoners were classified according to offenses and 5 levels of recidivism, with further recidivism regardless of age leading to deportation to Botany Bay , incarceration in Millbank Prison or execution .
job
Depending on the degree of responsibility, the prisoners had to operate a large treadmill ( Threatwheel ) developed by Sir William Cubitt for several hours , which served as a grain mill or water pump and was in operation until 1884. Pedaling for six hours was synonymous with overcoming a difference in altitude of 2800 m, as the big drum only reached around 20-30 revolutions per minute and the work was similar to climbing a mountain due to the large distance between the sleepers.
In addition to the usual prison activities in the laundry, gardening and infirmary, another job consisted of processing old ropes into tow for the later caulking of ships. Those who refused to work were deported or punished with whipping, ironing, total solitary confinement, and other things. Breaking the law of silence led to 14 days of solitary confinement.
In Victorian England, prison work should not create competition for the labor market, which is why useless work such as idling the treadmill was often done.
closure
In the course of the prison reforms in 1865 and 1877, the facility became the state prison 'HMP Coldbath Fields' (= Her Majesty's Prison) until it was closed in 1889.
The site of the prison, which was taken over by the Royal Mail in 1889, is now home to the largest automated sorting facility in the United Kingdom , the Mount Pleasant Postal service sorting office, which still measures the size of the facility.
literature
- Tristan, Flora: In the Thicket of London or The Aristocracy and the Proletarians of England. - Karlsruhe: ISP, 2002. - ISBN 3929008203
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 31 ′ 28.2 " N , 0 ° 6 ′ 41" W.