Between four walls: design of the Belgian prison cell in the 19th century

In the wake of penitentiairy reform in the Western world during the 19th century, Edouard Ducpétiaux, as first Inspector-General of prisons of the Belgian state, established a network of cellular prisons throughout the country. Between 1844 and 1919, almost thirty typical U+201CDucpétiauxU+201D-prisons were built, with a star-shaped structure of cell wings, radially arranged around a central observation point. In this paper, the concrete layout of the prison and the interior of the individual cells is discussed. Sources show that Ducpétiaux and the architects and contractors who were engaged in the construction of this penitentiary patrimony, almost literally copied these elements from Pentonville prison, a model prison near London, realized in 1840-1842. The design of Pentonville by Joshua Jebb would significantly influence prison design on the European continent throughout the 19th century. Both in terms of layout as of technical facilities, Pentonville proved to be the shining example for the Belgian construction campaign as well. Field trips with architects and officials to Pentonville and other English prisons were organized by the Belgian Ministry of Justice.. Relying on the Pentonville model, the Ministry of Justice communicated through circulars on furnishing and materials to be applied, in order to uniformize cells in all Belgian prisons. Hygiene and well-being of the detainees were found essential.

Jaar van publicatie:2016