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Has there ever been a prison in Sheffield?

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Im sure Sheffield would have been considered for a prison in the past. A lot of the victorian prisons like Armley, Strangeways, Lincoln etc are alocation prisons. Only prisoners with very short sentences/remand actually stay there (there are exceptions). There are hundreds of different category prisons in england a lot were previously army/raf camps. I would like to ask if people would like a top security prison like Wakefield built near the city? Perhaps this has been strongly opposed in the past.

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I would like to ask if people would like a top security prison like Wakefield built near the city? Perhaps this has been strongly opposed in the past.

 

It has little impact on the community as prison breaks are very rare, it would probably mean an unsightly building and an increase in traffic levels in the area.

 

I remember going past Armley prison when I worked in Leeds and that was deterrent enough to keep me on the right side of the bars.

 

If we did have an imposing prison in Sheffield would it lower crime rates as it would be a visible reminder of the punishment awaiting would be criminals?

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In the old Crown Court (opposite the cannon Pub) the cells in there were fantastic, straight out of a Victorian horror film, they should turn that into a musuem, or a prison.

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It has little impact on the community as prison breaks are very rare, it would probably mean an unsightly building and an increase in traffic levels in the area.

 

I remember going past Armley prison when I worked in Leeds and that was deterrent enough to keep me on the right side of the bars.

 

If we did have an imposing prison in Sheffield would it lower crime rates as it would be a visible reminder of the punishment awaiting would be criminals?

 

Although you are right about prison breaks there are hundreds if not thousands of escapees in England, although these are from open and semi open prisons. I suppose the sight of a prison may act as a deterrent especially Armley as i have also seen. The modern prisons like the one in Doncaster (Marshgate) look less imposing.

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Am I correct in assuming that most cities have prisons and Sheffield is an exception to this rule?

 

yes you are

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If you visit the old fire station on West Bar you will be able to stand in the cell from which Charlie Peace escaped. Not that I'm suggesting the man escaped from the Fire Brigade.

Before becoming home to the FB it served as the town gaol I think.

 

I would imagine also that Sheffield Castle in any of it's incarnations must surely have had a gaol of some sort.

 

Does this qualify?

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In the early 1950's Hollowmeadows was a borstal ! Boys were often seen by the gate in their garb including woodworking aprons. The threat to a misbehaving child at this time was, "Behave or you will go to Hollowmeadows!"

 

sorry but in the fifties is was a home for the mentally retarded it as never been a borstal as far as I personally remember it as always had connections with mental patients

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If you visit the old fire station on West Bar you will be able to stand in the cell from which Charlie Peace escaped. Not that I'm suggesting the man escaped from the Fire Brigade.

Before becoming home to the FB it served as the town gaol I think.

 

I would imagine also that Sheffield Castle in any of it's incarnations must surely have had a gaol of some sort.

 

Does this qualify?

 

charlie peace esacped from a train and when he got caught he was held in the old police cells which were used as the charge office on water lane somewhere on sheffield pictures is a illustration of a court that was held inside the cells because he was considered to dangerous to make the the journey to court. charlie peace was never held in west bar and never escaped from west bar.

he in fact escaped from a train bringing him from london to sheffield in the middle of the night

the old charge office for you information is the building with the mural on of the miner with a helmet opposite the Co-op in town

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It has little impact on the community as prison breaks are very rare, it would probably mean an unsightly building and an increase in traffic levels in the area.

 

I remember going past Armley prison when I worked in Leeds and that was deterrent enough to keep me on the right side of the bars.

 

If we did have an imposing prison in Sheffield would it lower crime rates as it would be a visible reminder of the punishment awaiting would be criminals?

 

this argument is a little flawed, actually Leeds as a far greater crime rate than sheffield and always had.

so seeing the big house on the hill had very little effect

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this argument is a little flawed, actually Leeds as a far greater crime rate than sheffield and always had.

so seeing the big house on the hill had very little effect

 

It's all hypothetical anyway as we would never know the crime rates in Leeds without a prison or Sheffield's with one.

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re Hollow Meadows (which is an area where more than one institution has existed)

 

from the Sheffield Local Register (digest of local news stories)

 

10 Jul 1848

First stone of the farm buildings on a piece of land for the employment of the able poor of the Sheffield Union*, at Hollow Meadows, laid by Wilson Overend, Esq.

[*ie the Sheffield Poor Law Union - the body providing relief to the poor at home or in the workhouse]

 

18 Sep 1876

Decease, at North Anston, of Mr. James White, for 25 years superintendent of the Union Farm, Hollow Meadows; aged 76.

 

20 Sep 1877

Sheffield School Board: Industrial School to be established at Hollow Meadows.

 

18 Feb 1886

Sheffield Sohool Board: ... farm at Hollow Meadows to be given up.

 

2 Mar 1886

Sheffield School Board: Hollow Meadows Truant School to be altered at a cost not exceeding £2500.

 

27 Mar 1900

New wing of Truant School at Hollow Meadows opened.

 

More information about the Hollow Meadows Workhouse/Industrial School on the Workhouses.com site, including a map and a photo. (search for 'hollow' - first hit)

 

Hugh

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