Public security management: the treatment of adult offenders in England from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century

The aim of this article is to present the history of the treatment of adult offenders in England from the time of the Norman Conquest to the end of the nineteenth century. The transformations are discussed both in terms of perceptions of who is seen as a criminal, the definition of crime itself and broader social changes influencing the subject under analysis. The article also presents the development of philosophical thought concerning how individuals who commit crimes should be treated, who should be punished and how. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate how the past has shaped contemporary approaches.