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A prison ship is a seagoing vessel which is modified to hold convicts or prisoners of war. Their use was most common in the 18th and 19th centuries, as the authorities wanted to address the issue of overcrowded civilian jails and the influx of detainees after wars.
Many prison ships were ‘hulked’ with the term coming from the Royal Navy, meaning a ship which is incapable of full service either due to damage or because it was not completed.
In England in 1776, many prison ships were moored on the River Thames; the first such vessel was commanded by Mr Duncan Campbell and was moored at Barking Creek. The prisoners were made to do labour on the shores during the day and returned to the vessel at night.
Around 40 ships of the Royal Navy were transformed into floating prisons. Some of them were HMS Warrior, HMS Argenta and HMP Weare.
Today, prison ships are not built due to humanitarian concerns and the availability of enough spaces to hold convicts on land. Moreover, operating such a facility on water would be quite expensive.
However, there was a notable modern prison ship which was decommissioned recently, in 2023.
The Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center was an 800-bed jail barge used to house inmates for the New York City Department of Corrections.
In 2014, the Guinness Book of World Records named it the world’s biggest prison barge in operation.
It was constructed for 161 million dollars in Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana, near New Orleans.
The prison ship was anchored off the Bronx’s southern coast, across from Rikers Island, close to Hunts Point.
The vessel was brought to New York in 1992 to reduce overcrowding in the island’s buildings.
It was nicknamed ‘The Boat’ and handled inmates from medium-to maximum-security in 100 cells and 16 dormitories.
The 191 m long and 38 m wide flatbed barge had a gym with a basketball court, weightlifting rooms and a roof with an outdoor recreation facility. It also had chapels, a medical facility and a library.
The 47,326-ton prison ship was maintained by 3 or more crew members when it opened in 1992.
It is the third such jail barge that the New York Department of Corrections has utilised. The barge has served traditional and juvenile inmates over the years.
It had a tight security system which prevented atleast 4 attempted escapes.
The barge came into the limelight during its final years of operation, as an inmate suffering from meningitis died in 2021 after being left untreated.
Another inmate killed himself the following year after jumping off the barge.
In 2019, the barge had 317 workers and operated at an annual cost of 24 million dollars.
Reports emerged of detainees being kept in tiny, dim dormitories that rusted and leaked in the rainy season.
Many activists also opposed the use of this floating prison, stating that its inmates were largely Hispanic and Black and were incarcerated with ‘minimal oversight’.
In September 2023, the Department of Corrections announced plans to decommission the Vernon C. Bain Center. It moved the 200 staff members and 500 prisoners to Rikers Island. The last remaining prisoners were moved from the Barge by November 2023.
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About Author
Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.
Disclaimer :
The information on this website is for general purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, we make no warranties of any kind regarding completeness, reliability, or suitability. Any reliance you place on such information is at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of this website.
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