Jails & Workhouses

Jails are, for the most part, not used as punishment in the colonies. They are, as in England, facilities for holding offenders who are awaiting punishment or trial. They look like other community housing, both inside and out. The person in charge, the keeper, lives there with his family, and inmates stay in rooms, not cells. This familial setup is supposed to reinforce and illustrate the proper order that is so valued and important. Even so, these lodgings are far from pleasant. All offenders‚men, children, women, murderers, rapists, and thieves‚are housed together in overcrowded, poorly sanitized conditions.

Workhouses are reserved for those who are considered unproductive. They serve as training institutions for the poor or idle, for beggars and prostitutes.

Gaol, 1653