Old buildings

Medium

Text

Form

Interview quote

Artist / Maker

Former staff member, retired 2012

It is old buildings that aren’t really fit for purpose, to be honest, so you’ve not got modern heating, the sanitation is not brilliant, you’re kind of dealing with people trying to put modern electrics, modern toilet facilities, modern shower facilities, into a building that’s just not designed for them.

– Former staff member, retired 2012

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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