Centralisation and Local Autonomy: The Experience of English Prisons 1820–1877

Abstract This article examines English prisons in the light of debates among historians about centralisation in the nineteenth century. The author argues that central state influence over prisons grew substantially from the 1830s onwards and that this was in line with the general view of administrative change advanced by such diverse writers as David Roberts and Philip Corrigan. However, the establishment of a central command structure under the 1877 Prisons Act was an extreme outcome which can only in part be explained by reference to general trends between 1820 and 1877. The takeover was also the result of manoeuvres by highly placed civil servants, intense pressure from particular interest groups, and guarantees given by the Conservative Party leadership to such groups.     

Discrimination in Social Work--An Historical Note

Correspondence to Dr. Bill Forsythe, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, 3rd Floor, Amory Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ. Summary It is important to examine the historical tradition of anti-discriminatorytheory and practice in social work in the light of current emphasison this aspect. There were several traditions, one anti-discriminatory,one non-discriminatory and one selfconsciously discriminatoryin nineteenth-century charitable and philanthropic work in England.There was considerable tension between these traditions andthe matter was further confused in that some workers, like ThomasBarnardo, represented an anti-discriminatory stance and yetin some of their work they clearly discriminated on such groundsas religious belief. It is concluded, therefore, that anti-discriminatorypractice can plainly be located in the pioneer phase of socialwork, illustrated by reference to such figures as JosephineButler and Elisabeth Fry.