Elizabeth Fry

John Howard and Elizabeth Fry were two significant prison reformers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although societal attitudes towards crime and punishments were changing rapidly during Howard and Fry's lifetime, both reformers helped to highlight the awful prison conditions to both the general public and lawmakers, at a time when many would have been unaware of prison conditions. The ideals of Howard and Fry can be directly seen in the reforms and laws that would later follow, helping to create the prison system that remains today.

John Howard Facts

John Howard was born into a wealthy family in North London in 1726. Even though he lived slightly before Fry, many similarities can be drawn between the two. Both were raised wealthy, and they came into contact with the prison system through curiosity in Fry’s case or employment in Howard’s case.

John Howard (1726-1790), Prison Reformer and Philanthropist, Wikimedia Commons.

Howard became the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, where his father's property was in 1773 and as a result was allowed to inspect the prisons in which Bedfordshire’s prisoners were incarcerated - a duty most in the role neglected or avoided.

Appalled at the corruption, dirt, disease and sub-standard prison conditions, Howard published a paper describing the many issues in the British Prison System. This included suggesting better hygiene conditions, separation of prisoners and a focus on rehabilitation. His report “On the State of Prisons in England and Wales” would be presented to Parliament and even resulted in new legislation regarding prisons (see below). Howard would die before any further reforms could take place, but he was one of the first figures to raise these issues. Many of his suggestions would be implemented over the years following the reforms beginning in the 1820s.

John Howard and Prison Reform

Howard had some influence throughout his lifetime. For example, upon assessing the condition of British prisons, He gave evidence to the House of Commons in 1774 to highlight the necessity for new legislation regarding prisons. This resulted in two new laws:

• The Discharged Prisoners Act: This abolished the fee that prisoners were expected to pay before release.

• The Health of Prisoners Act: This ensured that prisoners should be regularly cleaned and washed.

The Statue of John Howard(1895) in Bedford erected 100 years after his death in 1890. Wikimedia Commons.

Howard was far ahead of his time in this regard. It must be remembered that during this era, prisons received little or no government funding, were rampant with disease and were seen as holding facilities for undesirables before execution or transportation. Although short of his overall aims, this set a precedent for future reform, which would rapidly occur in the 1820s. Elizabeth Fry would continue Howard's campaigning work, albeit in a different format, with Fry actively engaging with prisoners and lobbying simultaneously.

Elizabeth Fry and Prison Reform

Upon visiting Newgate Prison after being prompted by a family friend in 1813, Fry was appalled by the awful conditions. Despite earlier legislation, prison conditions were no better than they were during John Howard’s time. It was one achievement enacting legislation, but it was much more difficult to procure the funds needed to properly reform the prison system. In 1813, the harsh Bloody Code was still being enforced, and transportation to Australia and execution were common punishments.

Conditions inside the prison were dirty and overcrowded with men, women and children not segregated from each other. Prisoners had to pay for everything, including food, drink and blankets, but many could not afford this. Many prisoners were awaiting transportation to Australia or had not yet received a trial. Her work on prison reform primarily took place in the 1820s, visiting prisons, inspecting conditions and formulating groups to campaign for reform. In 1823 prison reform legislation was finally introduced to parliament, but Fry still maintained as conditions would take years to improve.

Elizabeth Fry Legacy

Fry is still fondly remembered and commemorated to this day. As an activist who in particular pushed for better treatment of female prisoners, she was ahead of her time. It is also particularly notable the fact that Fry came from a well-off background and engaged in activism by choice, not a personal necessity. Fry’s public presence highlighted the issues in prisons and she gained several notable admirers. These included Queen Victoria who contributed to her cause but more importantly Robert Peel, who as Home Secretary would begin the enactment of prison reforms and reforms of the justice system as a whole.

West German Postage Stamp depicting Fry in 1952, Wikimedia Commons.

Fry’s activism is largely remembered as targeting prison reform, but she also campaigned for mental asylum reform, better education for women, an improvement in nursing standards, better housing for the poor and against transportation to Australia. It is said that she visited every prison ship for 25 years before it left England for Australia. Shortly after Fry’s death, the Elizabeth Fry Refuge was opened in 1849, which gave temporary accommodation to women released from police offices or gaols. This was seen as the most fitting commemoration, as its practical role continued to assist women whom Fry had helped throughout her life.

Fry and Howard Legacy

Both Fry and Howard were driven by their religious beliefs. This was in line with many of the other prison reformers of the time, who sought to rehabilitate prisoners through hard work, Christian teachings and reflection. The Gaols Act of 1823 finally brought forward more reform, building on the legislation pushed by Howard previously:

• Allowed prisoner visits from chaplains.

• Allowed them not to be in chains.

• Brought in a degree of prison segregation - female guards to watch female prisoners.

Although these reforms were a step in the right direction from Fry and Howard's point of view, they still fell short of the radical reform needed to completely transform the prison system. Due to the nature of prisons at the time, which were designed as temporary holding facilities before trial or transportation, it was almost impossible to properly implement these reforms. Prisons would gradually be constructed, enabling segregation of prisoners, more hygienic conditions and little to no overcrowding.

The formal unveiling of the John Howard Statue, Bedford, 1894, Wikimedia Commons.

Fry would continue to campaign and remain active until she died in 1845. Howard and Fry would both contribute in their own way to significant prison reform and create the prison system we have today: Fry was an outsider while Howard was directly involved in the running of the prisons.

Although neither would live to see the full extent of prison reform, both would see the effect of their activism with subsequent laws in Parliament.