The sentences and punishments of the Victorian criminals varied of the type of crime they committed. Crimes and their punishments were basically split into three categories: political offences, felonies, and misdemeanors. Misdemeanors were punishable in the mildest forms. Those who committed misdemeanors would pay a fine and/or spend time in a gaol, another word for a jail. Political offenses were also dealt with fines and jail time, only with bigger payments and more time in the gaols. In some situations, political offenders were sentenced to death.
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But almost all of those convicted of felonies would be given the death sentence. However, executions would rarely be carried out. Instead, convicts would be given life sentences, shipped to another part of the world, or forced to join the army. If an execution was to be carried out, the method of execution was hanging. At the beginning of the Victorian Era, public executions were still happening. They were usually right outside of the gaol, and the last words of the the convict were sometimes written on pieces of paper and sold as souvenirs.
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Short-drop hangings were the most common during the beginning of the Victorian Era. Short-drop hangings made the convicts struggle to survive for several minutes until they died of strangulation. When the Prison Acts of 1894 were established, executions were moved inside of the prisons walls. Eventually, executions became less painful and more humane. (Weidler). |