Alexander Maconochie
British penologist
Quick Summary
Alexander Maconochie was a British penologist who developed the mark system around 1840. This penal method was implemented at the English penal colony of Norfolk Island. Instead of fixed sentences, prisoners earned marks for good conduct and hard work, becoming eligible for release upon accumulating a set number of credits. This system emphasized training and performance as key to reformation, moving away from the idea that punishment should solely fit the crime and foreshadowing indeterminate sentences and parole.12
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