# They had all watched a hanging

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-bristol-jail-hanging-witnesses
- Themes: punishment, deterrence, crime, compassion
- Life situations: discipline at school, parenting, criminal justice

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Answering a teacher in Q&A: over a hundred years ago, when hangings in England were public, someone (a psychologist, he says) went through Bristol jail and questioned 60 or 70 people on death row. Almost all of them had witnessed a public hanging. The conclusion: it wasn't a deterrent at all — people think they won't get caught.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

there was a study done over a hundred years ago and the tie was in done in Bristol Bristol jail in England where that time executions hangings were public but hang people didn't leave no square or something and this person a psychologist or went through the jail and other hadley 6070 people on death row about to be hunt they don't have sort of stays of execution in those days no lawyers played a lot of money which he got so committed to death usually ended up dying huh so brother 60 people he found out that almost all of them had actually witnessed a public hanging conclude it wasn't a deterrent at all

## Teaching point

Punishment doesn't deter; caring communities do more.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

As Ajahn Brahm recalls an old survey, nearly everyone on death row in Bristol had watched a public hanging, and it hadn't stopped them. People tend to believe they won't get caught. Harsh punishment deters less than we hope. A caring, connected community does more good, at home as well as in society.

## Source

- [Loving Life, Loving-Kindness | by Ajahn Brahm | 20 Feb 2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj98u8peZOU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 58:02 to 58:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj98u8peZOU&t=3482s