Prisoners of the Sun: The British Empire and Imprisonment in Malta in the Early Nineteenth Century

Abstract

The ‘birth of the prison' has been linked to replacement of the ancient regime and the emergence of industrial, capitalist society. But this explanation gives insufficient attention to the role of the British Empire in diffusion of the prison as an institution and the continuing role of the sovereign in its political message. This essay focuses on the establishment of the prison at Corradino, in Malta, from initial plans in the 1830s through to its inaugural year in 1850. Drawing on archival materials in London and Malta, we explore the role of British social attitudes in empire-making and prison construction. Specifically, we explore the making of colonial prison policy, the architecture of the prison and colonial social hierarchy, the role of Catholic ritual in prison discipline, beliefs about ‘race' and criminality, and the significance of prison labour in a non-industrial context. Building Her Majesty's prison in Malta made it impossible for the Maltese to forget that they were subjects of a sovereign and not citizens in their own republic.