In 1984 Janus launched its own Orwellian themed ‘Moral Welfare Service’. Set a few years in the future, our society has decided that the upsurge in crimes committed by young people will no longer be tolerated. A Moral Welfare Service has been established to enforce supervision orders and administer ‘reasonable and appropriate’ corporal punishment to young lawbreakers. I know what you’re thinking – what a shame this service was not up and running in the UK last summer!

The photo stories in Janus 26 introduce us to two female delinquents, Patricia Scully and Jilly Waistrose who are in the care of the Moral Welfare Service. We drop in on their medical inspections and witness two formal canings. The punishment marks in both black and white and colour photos are among the most severe featured in the magazine.

Janus 28 returns to this theme with great success. The second photo story is devoted to the new Moral Welfare video, which can be downloaded here. Three beautiful offenders; Stella Castle – a blonde teenage shoplifter, Jassi Hafeez – a delinquent Asian schoolgirl and Lorraine Simmonds – a punkette in full regalia, are all subjected to long uncomfortable waits to be seen by the doctor, followed by painstaking medical examinations before they finally make the fateful trip to the punishment room.

The dark tone of these issues stuck a chord with readers and led to two follow up photo stories. In Janus 43 we return to ‘The Moral Welfare State’ and in Janus 65 we meet ‘The New Moral Welfare Officer’.

Click on the links above if you would like to download digital copies of the magazines and video in which the Moral Welfare theme appeared. We hope this small selection of stills from the Janus archive brings back some memories.