ABSTRACT
To an outsider prisons are extraordinary places – ‘total institutions’, punitive establishments holding people against their will, characterised by special and particular routines which structure and sustain the institution. But they are also geographical locales with their own histories and culture, serving a particular purpose for those held within and those for whom prisons are their place of work. And there is no doubt that physical activity has the capacity to impact upon the institutional climate of a prison. In the course of researching this book, several prison governors and senior managers have spontaneously spoken of the role of the gym, along with food and communication with the outside world through phone calls and visits, as being of most significance to the smooth running of a prison. Such is the value placed on physical activity that within prison culture it can be regarded as being as important as nutrition and contact with loved ones.
