Week 3 - Victorian Crime and Punishment

LO: To investigate which crimes became less common during the Victorian era and explore what Victorian punishment was like using evidence from HMP Leicester.

Crime and Punishment in Victorian times - BBC Bitesize

Crime and punishment in 18th and 19th century Britain - Crime and Punishment: Video playlist - BBC Bitesize

crime and punishment in the victorian times ks2 - Google Search

Lesson 1: Which crimes became less common in the Victorian era and why?

dfslkdjflk

  • Show two images: one of a crowded Victorian street and one of a pickpocket. Ask: What types of crimes do you think were common then? Why?

Main Activity (20 mins):

  • Teacher explains how industrialisation, population growth, and early poverty led to street crime (e.g. pickpocketing, theft).

  • Introduce reforms: police force founded (1829), education act (1870), improved living conditions, charity support.

  • Group activity: Timeline sort – pupils sequence key events (e.g. founding of police, prison changes, education law).

  • In pairs, match each event to how it helped reduce certain crimes.

Plenary (10 mins):

  • Whole-class discussion: Why do you think education reduced crime?

  • Pupils complete the sentence: In Victorian times, crimes like ______ became less common because...

Lesson 2: What were Victorian punishments like?

fkldfkjgjg

  • Show image of a treadmill or a prison cell. Ask: What do you think this was used for? Why might this be a punishment?

Main Activity (20 mins):

  • Teacher introduces types of Victorian punishments: prison (solitary, hard labour), public whipping (early Victorian), hanging (for serious crimes), reform schools for children.

  • Pupils work in small groups to create a “Punishment Profile” poster for one method. Include:

    • What was it?

    • Who received it?

    • What was the goal? (Reform? Deterrent?)

    • Was it fair?

Plenary (10 mins):

  • Gallery walk: pupils visit other posters and leave sticky notes with a question or comment.

  • Group discussion: Do you think punishments were fairer in Victorian times than in the medieval or Tudor periods?

Lesson 3: What can we learn about Victorian punishment from HMP Leicester?

fjldfjkgl

  • Show a photo or floor plan of HMP Leicester from the Victorian period. Ask: What do you notice? What might it tell us?

Main Activity (20 mins):

  • Source investigation: Pupils work in pairs to examine simplified historical sources from or about HMP Leicester, such as:

    • Prisoner records (e.g. name, crime, sentence)

    • Victorian prison rules

    • A drawing or photo of the treadmill or cell

    • Inspectors' reports about conditions

  • Pupils fill in a detective-style evidence sheet: What does this tell us about Victorian prisons?

Plenary (10 mins):

  • Pupils write a short paragraph answering: What have I learned about punishment in Victorian prisons from HMP Leicester?

  • Discuss: Why is it important to look at real historical evidence?

EXTRA - Write a diary entry from the perspective of a Victorian prisoner at HMP Leicester.