Prison Act (1865)

Abstract The Prison Act of 1865 sought to bring uniformity to a system divided among different types of institutions. The Act was in response to concerns of prison management, conditions, and abuses of prisoners. The provisions within the Prison Act of 1865 defined hard labor, established penalties for the violation of prison rules, formalized the separate system, and developed general conditions for the maintenance and operation of the prison. It became effective on February 1, 1866, for England and Wales.