All creative work was produced by people incarcerated at HMP Lincoln and HMP Liverpool, in 2022 and 2023
Photograph taken by Andy Aitchson
In England and Wales today, more than a quarter of prisoners live in Victorian-era prison accommodation.
The continued operation of these historic prisons has been the subject of intense criticism, with such buildings frequently described as obsolete and unfit for purpose. This research project aims to understand the implications of the longevity and persistence of the Victorian prison.
We want to understand what these prisons are like to live and work in, and how has this changed over time. We are examining the ways that these prison buildings carry traces of the past, while operating in the present day.
The project considers how and why these buildings have survived for so long, and asks how we will know when they have reached the end of their operational lives. We consider the significance of the Victorian prison in shaping public and professional ideas of what prison should be like. Crucially, this project explores the implications of the continued operation of Victorian-era prisons for the contemporary prison service, and aims to inform policy development.
Photograph taken by Andy Aitchson
During the period 1842 to 1877, a total of 90 prisons were built or significantly expanded, as part of a concerted building programme.
During the Victorian era there were more than 15 million prison admissions, with the majority of prisoners serving short sentences of less than one month.
From 1840, Victorian prisons typically operated under the Separate System, which aimed to reform prisoners through silent solitary contemplation. Communication between prisoners was forbidden, with prisoners spending much of their time in separate cells. The isolation of the Separate System led to increased rates of mental illness among prisoners.
Following the 1865 Prisons Act, prisons increasingly adopted the Silent System, which advocated reform via silence and hard labour. Prisoners were allowed out of their cells for work but were forbidden to speak to each other, with harsh penalties for those who broke such rules.
Several of the prisons built during the Victorian period were subsequently closed, but there are 32 Victorian-era prisons still in operation in England and Wales today. These historic prisons hold 22,000 prisoners, equivalent to one-quarter of the prison population.
“Incarcerated” is an exhibition that showcases the creative work from current and former prison inmates so that we might gain insight into the conditions that they are living in.
Photograph taken by Andy Aitchson
