John Howard (prison reformer)

John Howard FRS (2 September 1726 – 20 January 1790) was an English philanthropist known for his work as an early prison reformer.

Howard began inspecting prisons while serving as High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and toured prisons across the United Kingdom and Europe using his personal fortune. Howard documented his experiences in the 1777 exposé The State of the Prisons which described the terrible conditions of these prisons in great detail. Howard became a leading authority on prison reform to Parliament and co-drafted the Penitentiary Act 1779 which introduced the first policy for state-run prisons in the United Kingdom. Howard pioneered the concept of single-celling and advocated for better cleanliness in prisons, solitary confinement, hard labour, access to religious instruction, salaried prison staff, and a greater role of rehabilitation.

Howard's advocacy and writings were highly influential in prison reform in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States, and his work continued to influence prison reform into the Victorian era. A number of prison reform and humanitarian organisations are named in his honour.