No police force existed before the 16th century, and thus it was deemed the victim and local community's responsibility to find and catch the criminals themselves to help combat crime. Justice was local rather than national, and most crimes were dealt with by a Manorial Court – a form of Trial by Jury.
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Held at various intervals throughout the year, all local villagers had to attend. Men were placed in groups of ten (a 'tithing') – if one member of the group broke the law, it was thus the responsibility of the others to catch him and take him to court, whereupon a jury of twelve men chosen by the Villagers decided the case and what the punishment should be.
The most common punishments usually included fines, public shaming and humiliation i.e. being placed in pillory or stocks. However, for more serious crimes, the accused were sometimes kept in prison while awaiting trial.
There were comparatively few prisons in this period as local communities weren't prepared to pay for their upkeep. Conditions were squalid and grim and disease spread easily. Prisoners had to pay for their rent and food, and thus those with the least funds eventually ended up relying on charity and housed in the most basic and unpleasant conditions – sometimes dying due to starvation and ill treatment. Many weren't able to pay their discharge fee, unable to be liberated.