Art, photographs and personal narratives showcase the 150-year history of Lincoln Prison

Highlights of the exhibition will include original artwork and poetry created by people held at the prison this summer, as well as views of previously unpublished prison archival records, photographs, testimonies from former inmates and staff.

The event is part of a three-and-a-half-year research project, The Sustainability of the Victorian Prison, which looks at how the structure and function of Victorian prisons have changed over time, what it was like to live and work in Victorian prisons past and present, and what stands for the resilience of the Victorian mansion to the modern prison system.

The project is led by Professor Dominic Moran with Professor Matt Houlbrook, both from the University of Birmingham, and Professor Yvonne Jukes from the University of Bath, in partnership with the Howard League for Penal Reform. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Professor Moran, Professor of Carceral Geography at the University of Birmingham, said: “We were delighted to be able to support HMP/YOI Lincoln in marking 150^th anniversary of its foundation. The history of this prison reflects the wider history of Victorian prisons in the UK, but during our time in Lincoln we were struck by the unique perspectives and experiences shared by prisoners and staff, past and present. We are particularly privileged to be able to present the artwork and writing of current prisoners to audiences outside of prison. This work speaks to both the contemporary experience of incarceration and the ‘presence’ of prison history in everyday life.”

The history of this prison reflects the wider history of Victorian prisons in the UK, but during our time in Lincoln we were struck by the unique perspectives and experiences shared by prisoners and staff, past and present.

Professor Dominic Moran, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Victorian era was the most significant period of prison building in UK history. During the period 1842 to 1877, a total of 90 prisons were built or significantly expanded as part of a concerted building program. Lindsey County Jail was one of the last to be completed and one of many Victorian jails built in a spoked layout, with wings of cells organized around a central hub.

Several of the prisons built, altered or extended during the Victorian period have since closed, but Lincoln is one of 32 still operating in England and Wales today. Together, they hold 22,000 inmates, or about one in four currently serving prison terms. As most are ‘local’ prisons serving the courts and holding prisoners awaiting trial or sentence, almost all male prisoners will have spent time in one at some point.

The resources that will be on display during the November exhibition come from archival research at Lincolnshire County Archives, the Center for Modern Records at the University of Warwick, records held at the prison itself and oral history interviews with former staff and inmates.

The exhibition will also feature interviews and creative activities from art and writing workshops that took place at Lincoln Prison in the summer of 2022, as well as a collection of original photographs of the prison taken by renowned photographer Andy Aitchison.