The Politics of Penal Reform: Margery Fry and the Howard League

In the context of recent media scrutiny on the state of prisons in the UK, the efficacy of incarcerating large numbers of offenders is an issue which is rising steadily up the political agenda. In 2016, the Howard League for Penal Reform – an organization that has energetically lobbied for improvements in the treatment of offenders throughout its lifetime – celebrated its 150th anniversary.

This book considers the life and work of Margery Fry, the woman who created the modern Howard League a...