Atavism, recidivism, and the prison system: Cesare Lombroso in the British popular press, 1887–1896

Abstract

This article examines the reception of Cesare Lombroso in the British popular press from the late 1880s to the mid-1890s, the period of greatest resonance for the Italian criminologist in the British context. My contention is that, following the introduction of Lombroso’s concept of the criminal man in 1887, British newspapers actively disseminated his controversial and sensational theories in their crime news coverage, while also linking his work to discussions about rising recidivism and the failings of the British prison system, all aimed at enhancing circulation. The effect, I argue, was to shape a cultural climate that was ultimately conducive to the creation of the Departmental Committee on Prisons, that is the Gladstone Committee, in 1894. Finally, I suggest that it was precisely the awareness of Lombroso’s increasingly pervasive presence in the press, perceived as potentially damaging to Britain’s medico-legal establishment, that prompted many specialists to invest considerable time and effort in challenging his theories.