In the early 1700s, the practice of forcing inmates to work on large treadmills while subjected to flogging became a common form of punishment in prisons. This method combined labor with corporal punishment, reflecting the harsh penal practices of the time. The use of treadmills in prisons raised ethical questions about the treatment of inmates and the purpose of punishment in society.

The introduction of treadmills or forced labor with whipping in prisons around 1700 was critiqued in 18th-19th century reform poetry. Poets like William Blake addressed industrial cruelty and human degradation, advocating for social justice through their verses.