|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Bentham published his thoughts on the Panopticon in
three separate volumes in 1791. These were later combined and
published as a single volume. ----------------- First Published in 1791 takes the form of a series of letters written in the year 1787 from Crecheff in White Russia, to a friend in England. The title page reads:
PANOPTICON;
The Idea of a New Principal of Construction Applicable to any sort of Establishment, in which the Persons of any description are to be kept Under INSPECTION: AND IN PARTICULAR TO PENITENTIARY -HOUSES, PRISONS, MANUFACTORIES, HOUSES OF INDUSTRY, MAD HOUSES, WORK-HOUSES, LAZARETTOS, POOR-HOUSES, HOSPITALS, AND SCHOOLS: WITH A PLAN OF MANAGEMENT Adapted to the Principal IN A SERIES OF LETTERS, Written in the year 1787, from Crecheff in White Russia, To a friend in England. ------------ By Jeremy Bentham, OF LINCOLN INN, ESQUIRE. -------------------------------------- DUBLIN, PRINTED: London, reprinted; and sold by T.PAYNE, at the Mews Gate. --------- 1791
The preface starts:
LETTER 1
LETTER II. "is formed by an iron grating, so light as not to screen any part of the Cell from the Inspector's view." ...."Of this grating a part sufficiently large opens, in the form of a door, to admit the prisoner at his first entrance, and to give admission at any time to the Inspector or any of his attendants. This screen, what we would now describe as prison bars, separating the cells from the access galleries, is left off or certainly not shown in any of Adam's developed designs. "To cut off from each prisoner the view of every other, the partitions are carried on a few feet beyond the grating into the Intermediate Area; such projecting parts I call the Protracted Partitions." The cell windows, providing light to the Inspection lodge though the cell and across the Annular well should be "as large as the strength of the building and what shall be deemed a necessary attention to economy" will permit. Not withstanding this, the Inspection lodge hall should be kept in darkness. Bentham suggests a number of means of achieving this. The aim is to prevent any view of the interior of the lodge or the inspectors by the prisoners under inspection. The methods include blinds on the outer windows to the lodge (those facing the cells across the Annular Area), and the division of the lodge into quarters on plan by partition walls. To save the "troublesome exertion of voice" and prevent one prisoner knowing that an inspector was preoccupied with talking to another, Bentham proposes a "small tin tube" between the cell and Inspection Lodge, down which instructions could be issued.(!) Bentham discusses a way of heating the cells by means of internal flues. He also proposes that a common toilet might be "dangerous to security" and discusses in considerable constructional detail a method of providing each cell with its own toilet. He also proposes that the floors should be constructed of brick or stone arches, whatever material is most available for the location, to increase security against fire. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER III --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER IV --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER V -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter VI Discusses the Advantages of the plan. Apparent omnipresence of the Inspector. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER VII Discusses the nature of a Penitentiary House. It needs to be three things; a place of safe custody, a place of labour and a hospital (i.e. prisoners will get sick and there needs to be provision for this). Bentham discusses these three requirements in relation to his plan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER VIII Discusses the proposal in respect of Punishment, Reformation and Pecuniary Economy. Bentham notes that with the system the plan envisages, the prisoners are held in solitary confinement. In other design for prison they can be kept in solitary but have to come together for divine services. This is dangerous and inconvenient. Not in this design, where they can be kept in their cells and still hear the services. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER IX Bentham discusses the mode of management. He would let the whole out under contract. "I would farm out the profits, the no-profits, or if you please the losses, to him who, being I other respects unexceptional, offered the best terms." Accounts should be published. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER X Bentham discusses what trades the prisoners should be put to, and suggests that the answer is "whatever you can persuade them to turn their hands to" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER XI "in many specie of manufacture, the work is performed with more and more advantage, as every body knows, the more it can be divided." Bentham mentions the "Hard Labour Bill", that suggest the following occupations as suitable for those undergoing this punishment.
1.Treading the wheel And for those who are to be most favoured,
1. Making ropes. Bentham goes on to throw scorn on the magistrates and other who proposed all of these activities as being suitable occupations for hard labour. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER XII -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XIII Means of "Extracting labour" Offer prisoners a choice. Dont work, eat bread and water. Work, and eat meat and beer. Also be paid when discharged at the end of your term for work carried out inside. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XIV
Provision for Liberated persons -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XV Prospects of making savings from adopting this plan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XVI Discusses the use of the Panopticon plan for a House of Correction (i.e. Bridewell) as opposed to a Penitentiary. Pours scorn on the distinctions. Suggests that the regimen in a House of Correction could be easier. "the gloomy paradox of crowded solitude might be exchange perhaps for the chearfulness of a common refectory". "I will not pester you with further niceties applicable to the differences between houses of Correction, an Work-Houses, an Poor-houses, if any there should be, which are not work-houses, between the different modes of treatment that may be due, to what are look upon as the inferior degrees of dishonesty, and to blameless indigence. The law herself has scarcely eyes for these microscopic differences. I bow down therefore, for the present at least, to the counsel of so many sages, and shrink from the crime of being "wise than the law". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XVII Discusses use of the Panopticon system for prisons for safe custody merely. I.e. on remand. Good system as it keeps them under safe custody and allows them to be kept separate from more hardened criminals. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XVIII Use for Manufactories.- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XIX Use for Mad-Houses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XX Use for Hospitals. Would allow surgeon, matron, physician to keep an eye on patients, know that they had been looked after, etc. etc. Good design for air changes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER XXI Use for Schools. Slightly tongue in cheek.? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||