In the middle ages, did they have have jails, what were the penalties for breaking laws?

Question

England and greater europe I mean.

Answer 1

Hi THX,

While there have always been prisons. The idea of "Jail" as we understand the term, came from the Puritans in New England.

Historically, prisons were places for holding prisoners on a temporary basis. After being convicted of a crime (more or less the same types of crime we have today: murder, stealing, etc.) people were held in custody before sentence was carried out. Usually these sentences were beatings, losing a hand or ear, etc, and sometimes death. The reason for the short stays is easy to explain -- It costs a great deal of money to warehouse a prisoner. And no government wanted the additional expense of paying for criminals. So the idea was all about speed -- try them, immediately execute sentence, and then, release them, or bury them.

The idea of holding people for long periods of time in a cell was invented by the Puritans who viewed this as a progressive step forward in dealing with crime. Their view was that someone convicted of a crime, should be put in isolation for a time to contemplate the errors of his ways; and after he was truly penitent he could then be released again into the population. That is why the original (long-term) jails were known as "Penitentiaries" a term we still use today to designate a prison.

These places were to be viewed as almost like being on a monastic retreat for purposes of re-examining one's life. That's why, to this day, we refer to the prisoner's dwellings as "Cells." The term "Cell" is a term that's always been used to describe the room of a monk in a monestary. And that's how these people were supposed to conduct themselves.

Things have changed a lot since the days of the Puritan "Penitentiaries." But the idea of extended incarceration began with them in the 17th century, and is still with us today -- though in a radically altered form. The idea of long term incarceration in Europe took a bit longer to catch on; and the modern system of long term incarceration took hold in the early 18th century.

Hope this answer help. Cheers, mate.

Answer 2

Jails and prisons of various types have always been with us, including the middle ages. Penalties tended to be very severe by modern standards. Some prisoners were tortured, some killed and some starved to death.

Being a member of the nobility didn't exempt a person from punishment, in fact the punishment was sometimes more severe when it was royals versus royals.

For commoners sometimes time in the pillory or stocks was substituted for jail time. These were means of immobilizing a person, often publicly so other folks could throw rotten fruit and vegetables at them.

There really wasn't much justice then. The legal system in England was essentially what they inherited from Rome plus some common law additions.

If you were a peasant it was best to keep your nose pristinely clean, because you had no friends if you were afoul of the law.

Answer 3

Of course they had. In England, Europe, & most of the world. The penalties varied depending on the offense. regular oafs where put in the dungeons and nobles, in special places depending on the ofence they would either be beheaded or taken to or special jails places like the tower of London etc

Trials were quite curious: Specially there were the
Trial by ordeal (Ordeal by fire, by water, by arms).

By Fire: The prisoner had to hold an red-hot iron bar: if blisters came he was guilty if no blister they were innocent.

By Water: prisoner sat in chair which would be then summerged in river. If after severalminutes , when emmerged, prisoner alive = inocent, prisoner dead - guilty

By Arms: The parties involved had to fight it out. Same rational:

The typical penalties were:

The stocks: Different wooden pieces that prisoners would be tied to hoding both feet, holding head and arms etc. They usually would remain "free" but with the apparatus on, indicating the crime, for whatever time served. during that time, they could be abused, insulted, beaten etc.

:he gallows: prisoners would be put in cages were one would barely fit and hang there till they died and further corrupted for every one to see and be adviced.

other common were the galeys as rowers and slavers.


Also public hanging, beheading, amputations etc where very popular. Where after mebers where displayed and remains left hanging for the predators.

Torture was a normal penalty and the torturing mrethods where varied and cruel. Masks, boots, coofins, the stake etc

Answer 4

you did not want to get caught breaking the law in the middle ages. depending on the offense, an individual was subject to many forms of punishment. these include, but are not limited to: the iron maiden (a large iron casket with spikes on the inside that impaled a criminal when closed), drawn and quartered (the arms and legs were cut off and each was sent to a corner of the kingdom) and other various methods of torture that are pretty sick.

in the jails, or dungeons, prisoners were chained to the walls, and often left to starve to death, or given very meager rations. there was even a very small pit that was not big enough to lie down or stand up in, and you were left to the mercy of rats and other creatures.

Answer 5

Hanging, drawing, and quartering

To be hanged, drawn, and quartered was the penalty once ordained in England for treason. It is considered by many to be the epitome of "cruel" punishment, and was reserved for treason as this crime was deemed more heinous than murder and other capital offences. It was only applied to male criminals. Women found guilty of treason in England were burnt at the stake, a punishment abolished in 1790.

Answer 6

No, it quite is in all danger excommunication returned, yet it must be any lesser penalty. Excommunication isn't killing somebody, that's a ideal ecclesiastical censure that deprives a guy or woman of the excellent to belong to the Church. virtually, that's in basic terms performed on people who on the comparable time attempting to convince others of their misbeliefs. it quite is meant to maintain the Church united in reality, in spite of the shown fact that that's a reasonably good punishment, and the Church avoids it each time achievable.

Answer 7

Here in Belgium there where real experts and many executions are invented here.
Stealing penalty was hanging or hand(s) cut off.
Witchcraft , drowning or burning(here in Antwerp at Stadswaag)
The Steen (here in Antwerp) was a ancient prison, from there it was only a short walk to the execution place (Grote Markt Antwerp).

Answer 8

Yes, there were jails.

Penalties varied according to crime, but they included being whipped, being publicly humiliated (such as by having to ride a donkey backwards through town), being pilloried, being tortured (stretched on the rack, etc.), and being executed (beheaded, hanged, burnt at the stake, etc.).

Answer 9

yes but they were called dungens, they would look them up untill they starved to death and beheadings were very common.