ABSTRACT
In 1773, John Howard, who might fairly be called the first prison inspector, was appointed the sheriff of Bedfordshire. Part of his duties included responsibility for the county gaol and, contrary to the usual practice of the time, he did not pay someone else to carry out this task for him but went to look for himself. Visiting the prison for the first time, he was appalled by what he found and decided to see what happened elsewhere:
Looking into the prisons, I beheld scenes of calamity, which I grew daily more anxious to alleviate. In order therefore to gain a more perfect knowledge of the particulars and extent of it, by various and accurate observation, I visited most of the County-gaols in England. 1
