ABSTRACT
Even while Britain experienced an upswing in crime statistics in the post-war period, Northern Ireland retained its gratifying respectability. Belfast Prison had never been intended to hold long-term prisoners, but, because after the 1922 division of the country there were no convict prisons in the new Northern state, Belfast had eventually been adapted. Within A Wing there were several different types of long-term offenders. Most republican prisoners were held on A2 landing; the ground floor was occupied by other ‘star’ (first-time) prisoners. Following the principles established by Victorian prison administrators, the passage of time (accompanied by good behaviour) brought ameliorations in discipline. Association (the chance to mix and socialise after work) was highly prized. However, Belfast Prison in the mid-1950s, like most prisons in Britain and in the Republic, was minimally equipped for education, either self-directed or tutored courses.
