New book edited by ENU criminology lecturer Kirstin Anderson examines the legacy of the BSU
The Barlinnie Special Unit (BSU), which polarised opinions for its therapeutic approach and shared decision making between prisoners and staff, is the subject of a comprehensive new book published today.
The small unit at the Glasgow prison opened in 1973 and operated for almost 22 years, allowing greater family contact and enabling prisoners to explore creative activities. Through the support of visiting artists, and the voices of the prisoners themselves, it challenged prevailing, disciplinarian prison culture.
The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Innovation and Punishment is edited by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) criminology lecturer Kirstin Anderson. It brings together recollections from those who experienced the BSU first-hand, including former prison officers and prisoners, artists who worked in the unit, the unit’s psychologist, and current scholars in criminology.
The text contains, for the first time, reflections from people involved in the unit across the entire period it operated through essays, interviews and photographs – and is set to ignite new questions and conversations around the legacy of the BSU.
Editor Kirstin Anderson said: “When the Barlinnie Special Unit opened in 1973, the small unit’s therapeutic approach led to a major polarisation of opinion and debate that still resonates.
“This book considers how lessons learned from the BSU impact our thinking on punishment and imprisonment in Scotland today.
“The publication is timely as plans move forward to replace HMP Barlinnie with HMP Glasgow.
“It’s not too late to consider the significance of the Barlinnie Special Unit in Scottish penal history and how it might encourage us to think more critically.”
Contributors to The Barlinnie Special Unit include former BSU prisoner Johnny Steele. He writes: “My life had been restored to me in instalments whereas in other parts of the system our lives were taken away from us in one go.
“For me, the BSU was the only port in the storm.”
While prison studies expert Professor Andrew Coyle highlights that, due to the lack of small units in the Scottish Prison System, “prisoners who cannot be held in general accommodation for whatever reason have been held for extended periods in what amounts to solitary confinement”, a practice criticised by the UK Supreme Court.
The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Innovation and Punishment is published by Waterside Press and available to buy from 1 October 2024.
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