Boredom

Medium

Text

Form

Archive extract

Artist / Maker

Lord Justice Woolf, April 1990, p498 – Inquiry into Prison Disturbances.

61 men (10%) complained specifically of boredom and under-stimulation “I myself have now an in-depth knowledge of the behaviour patterns of urban pigeons” said one. Many respondents linked the occurrence of riots of disturbances to the desperate need for something to happen.

– Lord Justice Woolf, April 1990, p498 – Inquiry into Prison Disturbances.

Why have we collected this work?

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.

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