Convict surveillance and reform in theory and practice: Jeremy Bentham versus New South Wales

Author(s)
Allen, Matthew
Publication Date
2021-07-28
Abstract
<p>Jeremy Bentham is famous as a pioneer of modern surveillance, most notably for his panopticon, a circular prison with a central tower that ensured inmates were always watched. This chapter uses Bentham’s critique to historicise his theory of reformative surveillance, contrasting it with contemporary surveillance practices in early New South Wales (NSW). It argues that Bentham misunderstood the significance of surveillance in the penal colony and failed to appreciate the difference between surveillance in theory and practice. In 1802, Bentham addressed a series of public letters to the Home Secretary, Lord Pelham, which sought to demonstrate that transportation was a flawed means of punishing convicts and that NSW was illegally governed.</p>
Citation
Histories of Surveillance from Antiquity to the Digital Era The Eyes and Ears of Power, p. 70-86
ISBN
9780429323751
9780367340698
9781032021539
Link
Language
en
Publisher
Routledge
Series
Routledge Studies in Modern History
Edition
1
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Title
Convict surveillance and reform in theory and practice: Jeremy Bentham versus New South Wales
Type of document
Book Chapter
Entity Type
Publication

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