The photographs in this collection are from the archives of the Howard League for Penal ReformLink opens in a new window, and show images of prison life in the first decades of the 20th century. Many of the photographs look at the reformatory side of the prison system, including shots of prisoners engaged in work and educational programmes in both the UK and USA.

Borstal

27 photographs of the first Borstal (juvenile detention centre) in 1902

Holloway

6 photographs showing the system operating in the women's prison

Wormwood Scrubs

9 photographs showing the system operating in the men's prison

Dartmoor, Wakefield and the First World War

16 photographs of Dartmoor and Wakefield prisons, including images relating to the internment of conscientious objectors

Indiana Women's Prison, USA

8 photographs of the pioneering women's prison

New York State Reformatory for Men, USA

9 photographs of the pioneering men's prison

New York State Reformatory for Women, USA

13 photographs of the reformatory for young women, shortly after its construction in 1901