Who was John Howard and how did he contribute to corrections?

John Howard was the first English prison reformer. He was a sheriff who inspected the county prison and was shocked by the squalor in which the inmates lived. He was concerned that some inmates would be held indefinitely because they could not pay their jailor fee.
 He was also concerned with the poor hygiene that produced plagues and other illnesses.
 Howard proposed that clean water be provided and that inmates receive a proper diet and have access to adequate hygiene. He advocated for guidelines to hire qualified prison personnel. He also advocated for an independent inspection process to make sure these reforms were implemented.