A grand façade!
The gate house externally was built to look grand
Chimneys stood high, stone arched windows, domineering turrets stand
Like knights on a chess board
Beautifully sharply chiselled masonry work adorn the front brick wall
Yet your eyes return to the turrets so tall
On each high apex either side of each arched window,
Even centre of the “over sized” oak door are many a crucifix
Resembling a building of religion,
But behind this grandeur lies a dark dark prison
Each cell door is thick heavy, built of a wooden structure
Behind lies a mans soul ready to rupture
Each Sunday morning a priest will preach, redemption, reform
Here take this Bible you will no longer be alone
To the men serving a short time they will embrace this religious revolution
But the men for year awaiting execution, everything in this place is sheer pollution
Come Monday morning the wardens are stern
Bellowing to men “You will never learn!”
Now back to the exterior, passers-by look up in awe
Are they aware this is to enforce law?
This building was erected on Victorian land
To the men inside it is not so grand
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.