On Friday 15 February a group of our Y12/13 Sociology and Politics students had a fantastic time exploring Shepton Mallet Prison. The purpose of the visit was to investigate the criminal justice system and understand how the prison system has evolved through the centuries.
The prison was originally built in 1625, and has had a very interesting history. As well as being home to thousands of prisoners over the centuries, important documents such as the Domesday book were stored here during World War Two and the infamous Kray twins served part of their sentence in this prison. There have been at least 25 executions here and over 50 escapes over the years. The prison is regarded as on of Britain’s most haunted buildings, with some prison staff even refusing to enter certain parts of the complex!
Students experienced what it would have been like to be processed as a prisoner, before being shown to their cells to conduct a cell escape challenge. This was followed by a tour of the prison, and workshop where they experienced some of jobs that would have been done by prisoners during their stay. The day ended with some free time to explore the large complex of abandoned buildings, where our students enjoyed taking a number of #Cellfies!
Thank you to all students involved.
Mr Leaman
Teacher of History, Politics & Sociology
