Howard, John (1726–1790)

Biographical Details

At first glance, Howard seems an unlikely champion of prison reform. Born in 1726 in Enfield, England, to a comfortable middle-class family, Howard's childhood was disrupted by his poor health and by the death of his mother when he was 5 and of his father when he was 16. His subsequent years were spent in travel. On a trip to Portugal in 1756, his ship was captured by French privateers. Howard shared the sufferings of his fellow countrymen while on the ship, receiving little food or water while the ship sailed to a dungeon located in Brest, Belgium. Howard spent six days in the dungeon where treatment of prisoners was not much different than on the ship. He was further imprisoned at Morlaix, France, but was soon exchanged for a French officer. When he returned to England, he reported his experience to the Commissioner of Sick and Wounded Seamen of the British Royal Navy and was successful in receiving action to alleviate the conditions of the other English seamen.

After release, Howard married Henrietta Leeds, became a vegetarian, and turned to managing his landed estate. He also provided partial funding for a school for children that resided on his estate.

Inspector of Prisons

In 1773, Howard was appointed sheriff of Bedford. One of his duties, neglected by his predecessors, was to inspect prisons. He soon found that in the three regional prisons for which he was responsible, prisoners were ill-treated. He also found that large numbers of men were confined simply because of their inability to pay various fees. For example, prisoners were required to pay their jailer, who received no other salary and, as a result, had little incentive to use any funds to improve conditions or to provide basic amenities. A previous unsuccessful attempt had been made to introduce legislation changing [Page 451]how jailers were paid. However, it was not until Howard made his case to the English Parliament that two Gaol Acts were passed in 1774. The first set all prisoners free who were held for nonpayment of jailer fees and authorized jailer salaries. The second bill addressed health in prisons by encouraging improvement of sanitary conditions.

At his own expense, Howard began touring the prisons of Europe for the purpose of promoting reform. He focused especially on prison architecture, noting that water, circulation, and light were generally inadequate. Combined with lack of fuel, inadequate clothing, poor hygiene, and lack of food, prisons were badly in need of reform. Howard especially drew attention to many prisons having inadequate water. Drawing from his observations in British and European prisons, in 1777 he published a pamphlet, The State of Prisons in England and Wales, which radically changed penal policy in England and abroad.

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