The text discusses the history and impact of prison hulks, which were ships used to accommodate prisoners when prison overcrowding became a problem. The author highlights the flaws and horrors of the hulk system, as described by American revolutionary Philip Freneau. The British used hulks not only in America but also on the Thames and overseas in places like Gibraltar, Bermuda, and Australia. The text explores the economic motivations behind using prison hulks and how they provided cheap labor. The conditions aboard the hulks were harsh, with high fatality rates and brutal treatment of prisoners. The text also mentions the eventual abolition of the hulk system due to opposition and concerns about recidivism.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| The use of prison hulks worldwide | From using prison hulks as a solution to overcrowding | Prison hulks are no longer used as a solution | Iron ships, steam power, political and moral upheaval |
| Prison hulks as a solution to overcrowding | From using prison hulks for cheap labor | Prison hulks are no longer used for labor | Lack of suitable candidates for prison administration overseas |
| Conditions aboard prison hulks | From harsh and brutal conditions | Improved conditions for prisoners on hulks | Moral concerns and opposition |
| Investigation and mass hanging of murderers | From continuing the hulk system | The beginning of the end of the hulk system | Public outrage and opposition to the system |
| Worries about recidivism | From high reoffending rates | Decreased reoffending rates | Concerns about mixing hardened and petty criminals |
| Bermuda’s completion of work | From ongoing use of hulks | Hulks are no longer needed | Completion of construction work |