Uses And Abuses In The Chancery Prison Of Valladolid

Uses and abuses in the Chancery Prison of Valladolid

INTRODUCTION

The prison during the old regime had attributed a very different function from the one that prevails today. That is, the jail acts as a procedural guarantee, waiting for the trial, while the deprivation of liberty takes place scarcely. That is why there was a difference between prison with a preventive and punitive character.

We must point out that the jurisdiction of the Modern Age was characterized by being a justice of judges and not of laws, since these are those that determine the procedural internment of individuals. Likewise, this period is characterized by the absence of direct sources to know the life of these centers.

Valladolid is a city whose penitentiary reality, although complex, has always been very unknown. The city’s prison, that of the Royal Chancery, the Galera, the Inquisition, that of the University and those linked to ecclesiastical justice from its court from its court. Even if we refer to the Chancery Prison, which holds greater importance, we will observe without difficulty the little information referred to.

Despite this, the crackling prison was a large prison whose main information has been given by the documents of the crime room through criminal lawsuits and secret causes.

Jail and warden

From now on, our attention will be set in the last years of the 18.

The chancery jail had a unified structure and organization, and was monitored by the Crime Government Chamber.

The prisoners were in custody, while their processes were followed in the room and it is also known that in 1795 the prison came to recount up to 138 prisoners.

At first, the authority on the inmate always corresponded to the judge who understood in his cause and not the warden. However, although cards and pragmatic ones forced the judicial authority to take into account all purposes, everyday life resulted in the warden to impose on the courts, since this was aware of the situation of inmates, a reality that was notgave in the case of judges.

On the day to day, he had to receive the prisoners who took him from the court and those who came from other jurisdictions. The first task was to make an exhaustive exploration with them. However, in addition to the guardianship of the prisoners, one of the tasks of the mayors of Chancery was to notify the Crime room everything related to jail and prisoners.

Likewise, they took care of conserving the goods they had, because they were in deposit under their surveillance. It corresponded to its supervision, in addition, the books of the prison, the three bunches of keys, the cricket pairs and two sheets of the seal.

All these instruments, and the prisoners were the caudal of the warden. When this ceased in its functions well due to ill. Thanks to these transfers of powers we can know that these books, which, as pointed out, have not been preserved, they did exist.

In the same way, I had to control that the prisoners did not abandon jail until the Crime Chamber agreed, without being able to release them otherwise. This is, at all times it was the judges who understood of the cause that had the ability to decide.

Precisely, the warden of the prison that concerned us acted with arbitrariness very foreign to their functions. This is because the circumstances surrounding the exercise of their functions facilitated this situation. To this is added that the warnings of the Crime Chamber to this trade did not necessarily imply the loss of their position.

In Valladolid’s chance this position was alienated to the crown;It was owned by the counts of Adanero, who had the gift to name him. Its headline lacked a fixed endowment, unlike, for example, the wardrobe of the city prison.

As a consequence of the alienation of the position, this prison lived bad times at the end of the old regime. That is, the warden neglected his tasks, thus favoring leaks, which represented a form of resistance against justice, and did not undergo authority.

In any case, his activity and salary had always been regulated, since the time of Carlos I. In 1774 a new tariff was formed, which was in force until the beginning of the 19th century, and assigned some resources crossed out of insufficient.

For the proper functioning of the prison, the mayors had a series of personnel members who were at their service. Among them, we found people who served a trade, who were admitted by the Government of the Chamber as such and consequently perceived remuneration.

On the other hand, a group of people with whom the warden had for certain needs and whose work had a temporary character that they received as agreed with this. Finally, the existence of certain prisoners that are granted some kind of responsibility is also pointed out.

This last group, formed by inmates, constitutes a group whose presence was, logically, constant in jail. It used to be composed of those people who were not considered to have "blood crime", without serious crimes behind them. His role is part of the one considered "utilitarian penalty". Among the permanent charges to be distributed that are assigned to the prisoners were those of demanding, keychain and nurse, although the latter has a different character and did not always exist.

Types of prisoners

In this hierarchical society, the condition of the prisoner is modified, not only in relation to the types of jurisdiction to which it could be accepted and the jail in which it would be retained preventively as a guarantee of its process before the courts, but also for personal reasons as their socio -economic or judicial status.

That is why the classification of the different prisoners in the Royal Chancery of Valladolid responds to this double criterion. This establishes the category of distinction prisoners, a bruise of slight causes, aim that has goods, and topped

The latter are more or less temporary residents of the prison, which, once issued a sentence, await in this space until a considerable number of people are reached are taken to the prison in question.

In addition, these prisoners could arrive from other jurisdictions that had no capacity to execute their sentences or that even lacked prison. These prisoners were waiting for the prison rope to arrive, and in it address the places where they had to serve.

This circumstance made a superpoblation within the Chancery Prison in certain periods of the year, which facilitated leaks due to the difficulties for controlling prisoners.

However, the differences between prisoners were not only of a procedural nature, since the hierarchy of the society of Spain of the moment also crossed the prison walls. This resulted in differentiated treatment for those who could demonstrate their status as noble. The finding of its nature caused the cessation of punishments for their actions.

In any case, the situation of the inmate was bad. The main complaints that arrived in the room were about the reasons why prison were imposed, as well as the incommunication wing that were submitted despite having already taken a statement. In addition, they protested by the control methods that hindered their rest, sleep or food, which also caused them various diseases and became insufferable.

This control was based on successive records with a frequency of three times a day under the supervision of the Alcaide. Surveillance ranged from caution and punishment. In this way, night surveillance started from the chain of the inmates, even for those in the infirmary, because the night was the moment usually chosen for leaks.

However, the placement of the chains determined the well -being of the prisoners. That is, the poor disposition of these caused the greatest mobility of some facing the discomfort of others and the paralysis of its members, which led to the impossibility of reconciling the dream.

For the communication of the prisoners with the outside, they had the possibility of receiving emails, which was neither easy or frequent due to the conditions of illiteracy of the society of the moment.

Basic benefits and its cost

The benefits that the warden had to provide to the prisoners are very basic and, although not very well defined, it was required that the tariff of what it could charge for each of them would be exposed for their consultation for their consultation.

However, these benefits were not free. The prisoner had to pay an amount to the warden since his stay in jail began. The rates varied according to the "condition" of the inmates and the alcaides themselves tried to modify them in their favor, despite the fact that the legislation reiterates otherwise.

During the reign of Felipe II, a series of rules were dictated that should be observed by the waids. The content of these were about their toilet, distribution of alms, and bed rate for prisoners. They regulate the minimums that the service of the prison had to govern, and the aid that should be given to the prisoners.

In general and without specific evidence of the Chancery Prison, we can point out that it was forced to give poor prisoners bread and whole gleches and two maravedíes of wine a day. For the beds of the “non -poor” prisoners, 10 maravedís would be charged if he occupied it alone, 6 to each confined if they occupied it 2 and 4 to each inmate if he shared the bed between 3.

These rates not only allow us to know the amount that the warden could request to prison. Thus, the distinction prisoners could "inhabit the quartos of the alcayde" and enjoy the stay, "light, water, room ornament, servitude and assistance with the servants or dependents of the Alcayde".

In the case of the prisoners that were found under the condition of "prison. This means that probably the previous ones, those who occupied the rooms of the warden, were in others with views to the street. Payment was also made as "floor, light, water and assistance".

In both cases, paying this rate had all the expenses of stay "without either to each other, paid referred to, nor should I carry anything for entry or exit".

On the other hand, there were prisoners that even having money could not be in these rooms, but in dungeons. However, they still paid for their stay, at the entrance and exit, without a clear determination of the services provided.

These spaces called blocks also had a cost for the auctione. In the event that it did have assets he had to pay it at his expense, otherwise he was paid for the “own of the town of the court that he knew the case”.

In exchange for these payments and the comforts arrived the comforts arrived. The prison had some goods such as jerks and pillows that the room was responsible for replacing at the request of the warden.

Food and disease

Related to this typology seems evident the distinction of prisoners between the poor and those who had flows

All prisoners were guaranteed, in theory, elementary levels. Likewise, prison books reveal that food games distributed among the poor were bread, cow, rams, fish and eggs. His prices ranged according to the circumstances and were not the incumbency of the warden, but of the court.

However, the perspective of prisoners was not this. On very numerous occasions they claimed the lack of food and, consequently, the proliferation of diseases related to this. Only those who had money could order food and buy wine.

The reduced space, very populated, lacking hygiene and with some subjects who already suffered from a disease before entering resulted in the appearance of a staff at the health service. These doctors blamed all diseases, including epidemics, to the infra food that individuals suffered.

Corruption and abuse problems extended to all levels. In the nursing, the consequences are not covered in their own service the chamber penalties, but even to the death of the prisoners.

The doctor’s plan consisted of "cold days". In addition to coal and other things from the previous day, the nurse also provided rations of meat, bacon, chickpeas and other foods.

Therefore, sick prisoners will receive well -cooked food, which was very important for recovery, and evidenced the quality of cooking of prescribed rations. However, in addition to daily problems and despite all these preventive measures, prison suffered from seasonal problems due to its characteristics, that is, the arrival of summer caused the resurgence of epidemics.

Under these circumstances, the doctor recommended acting quickly according to preventive guidelines that consisted of separating the sick into the prison, placing them in a stay as isolated as possible according to the architectural characteristics of the building.

Conclusions

The period that covers the end of the old regime was characterized for the prison of the Roynumerous abuses.

For these same reasons, during these years the collective and individual requests, which showed the discontent of prisoners, together with other more radical forms of protest, which included leaks.

Hunger, bad health and hygiene conditions, the impossibility of reconciling sleep, punishments, work and payment for the services provided in jail made the stay in this were bad.

Finally, we can perceive the continuity of the old formulas that at that time characterized criminal law, especially as regards the purpose of deprivation of liberty.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• The everyday in the prison of the Royal Chancery at the end of the old regime, Margarita Torremocha Hernández. Everyday life in the Hispanic monarchy times and spaces.
• The warden and the prison of the Chancery of Valladolid at the end of the 18th century. Uses and abuses;Margarita Torremocha Hernández, University of Valladolid. Modern History Magazine No. 32 (2014) (pp. 127-146) ISSN Electronic version: 1989-98