If these walls could talk

Medium

Text

Form

Poem

Artist / Maker

I.L., HMP Liverpool 

If these walls could talk
They would see tears
The darkest of days
They would know fear

If these walls could talk
They would see pain
A cycle of turmoil
that can not be tamed

If these walls could talk
They’d see no joy
Turns strong to weak
Turns a man to a boy

These walls can talk
Not only of sorrow
But also with hope
There is a better tomorrow

– I.L., HMP Liverpool 

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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