This book tells the story of the star class, a segregated division
for first offenders in English convict prisons; known informally as
'star men', convicts assigned to the division were identified by a
red star sewn to their uniforms. 'Star Men' in English Convict
Prisons, 1879-1948 investigates the origins of the star class in
the years leading up to its establishment in 1879, and charts its
subsequent development during the late-Victorian, Edwardian, and
interwar decades. To what extent did the star class serve to shield
'gentleman convicts' from their social inferiors and allow them a
measure of privilege? What was the precise nature of the
'contamination' by which they and other 'accidental criminals' were
believed to be threatened? And why, for the first twenty years of
its existence, were first offenders convicted of 'unnatural crimes'
barred from the division? To explore these questions, the book
considers the making and implementation of penal policy by senior
civil servants and prison administrators, and the daily life and
work of prisoners at policy's receiving end. It re-examines
evolving notions of criminality, the competing aims of reformation
and deterrence, and the role and changing nature of prison labour.
Along the way, readers will encounter an array of star men,
including arsonists, abortionists, sex offenders and reprieved
murderers, disgraced bankers, light-fingered postmen, bent
solicitors, and perjuring policemen. Taking a fresh look at English
prison history through converging lenses of class, sexuality, and
labour, 'Star Men' in English Convict Prisons, 1879-1948 will be of
great interest to penal historians and historical criminologists,
and to scholars working on related aspects of modern British
history.
General
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