Six former inmates of Holloway Prison, once Europe’s largest women’s jail, have returned to the site, now bulldozed, for a new documentary film. The film seeks to raise awareness of the experiences of women in the prison system, and the wider issues of justice and rehabilitation. The UK regularly imprisons more women than any other Western European country, with 3,600 women being held in prison in March 2021. More than half of these women had been convicted of non-violent crimes.
The women featured in the documentary spoke of their feelings of powerlessness within the system and their alarming observations of others being repeatedly sent back to prison with little support outside. They also expressed the desire for greater compassion for and understanding of those who have experienced the criminal justice system. The documentary hopes to encourage a wider conversation around this issue.
The film’s directors and former inmates alike have expressed concern around the lack of support for women in the system. They referred to the importance of the site as a critical part of women’s history, and “felt that needed to be marked and honoured”. They use the documentary as an opportunity to both reflect on their own personal experiences and highlight the wider systemic failings of the criminal justice system.
Holloway was once home to famed suffragettes as well as notorious murderers. It first opened in 1852 and was closed down in 2016 after it was deemed too difficult to run. The new documentary hopes to spark larger conversations about incarceration and the forces that drive it, as well as provide greater understanding and support for those who have been affected by the criminal justice system, especially support for women
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