Jailbreaking HMP Strangeways
NEW STRANGEWAYS LAG’S OCCUPATION ZONE FOR COUNTERFEIT JUSTICE
Inmates’ appropriation of a high-security prison, HMP Manchester, for a new model of DIY justice, inspired by feminist practices of accountability processes and direct action.
What would it mean for ‘prison’ to be a centre for resources that you could voluntarily go through and exit when you’ve gained as much as you need? Because the prison system in practice is a site of spatial injustice and violence which does not function as intended, my thesis focuses on the abolition of prison and a permanent end to its culture of disposability and ritualistic caging. After a successful prisoners' occupation of HMP Manchester 'Strangeways', an unlikely alliance of inmates and survivors of abuse have formed a porous hub that is centred on each victim’s real and intangible needs. Together, they adapted the cell blocks with scraps sourced from the prison itself as well as the junkyards of north Manchester, which they built in existing on-site workshops and assembled in the exercise yards. Resources, mentorship, and negotiation are offered to both harmers and victims alike, so that they may enact their own justice(s) as they see fit.
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As a returning graduate of the MSA (Class of '22), this environment has enriched my interest in three interlinked issues: crime, state violence, and resilience in informal communities. I am always animated by the question of autonomy where it is most restricted, so some of my previous pursuits have focused on a disguised school of squatting, resistance in gamified Amazon warehouses, and the rewilding of farmed cattle. I aspire to continue refining my technical toolkit, so that I may design dignified spaces shaped by local needs in my future roles.
