Its history as a “Penitentiary” closed more than thirty years ago, when Sir James Graham told the House of Commons it was a failure.
The place itself was one of the early results of Howard’s efforts to improve the condition of prisoners, and all the methods of prison discipline which have since been practised have been associated with it.
Howard withdrew from the scheme before even the site had been fixed on, and it was taken up by Jeremy Bentham, who wished to realise his idea of the Panopticon or Inspection House, “in which any number of persons may be kept within reach of being inspected during every moment of their lives.”
Bentham agreed with the Government to build a prison, and bought the land at Millbank of Lord Salisbury for £12,000, but the scheme fell through, though eventually the Penitentiary was built, and received its first batch of convicts in June, 1816.
In its management the new institution was meant as an experiment in the humanitarian treatment of crime.
The place was not to be a prison, but a penitentiary, and the convicts were not so much to be prisoners as penitents. Men who knew trades were to work at them and teach others.
Captain Griffiths, the present Deputy-Governor, in his “Memorials of Millbank,” just published, describes it as at this time “a huge plaything; a toy for a parcel of philanthropic gentlemen, to keep them busy during their spare hours.”
Visitors were taken to it as a show-place, where the prisoners read and went through religious exercises to the great edification of the company.
At Christmas they were regaled with roast beef and plum pudding, after which they passed a vote of thanks to Archdeacon Potts, the visitor, and sang “God save the King.”
Punishments were rarely inflicted, and then only after report to the visitor. The first prisoner who was released from the penitentiary was a woman who, being dressed in her new clothes, was taken round to see her fellow-penitents, who were duly addressed by Sir Archibald Macdonald, the visitor, on the improving spectacle.