Prison Type Convict Prison
Date opened 1853
Date closed 1882 [post 1900 (still open)]
Location Jebb Avenue Brixton
Map location exact or closely approximate
County Surrey
Formerly a local prison (Brixton House of Correction, ID 74), Brixton Prison opened as a female convict prison in November 1853. The intention was that Brixton would take all female convicts, but despite having accommodation for c700 prisoners the prison quickly became overcrowded and the pentagons at Millbank were once again put into use for women in the probationary and penal classes. With the completion of the new purpose-built female prison at Woking in 1869 (ID 1015), all the female prisoners at Brixton were transferred to the new establishment by the end of that year. Brixton was reopened for male prisoners in February 1870, the prison receiving both probationary and public works classes of convicts. In September 1882 Brixton was transferred to the War Office and declared a military prison.
Prison Type Convict Prison
Date opened 1853
Date closed 1882 [post 1900 (still open)]
Location Jebb Avenue Brixton
Map location exact or closely approximate
Lat. 51.451611 Long. -0.12525
County Surrey
Image Attribution 'Bird's-eye view of the female convict prison at Brixton', in Mayhew and Binny, Criminal Prisons of London (1862) p. 176
Formerly a local prison (Brixton House of Correction, ID 74), Brixton Prison opened as a female convict prison in November 1853. The intention was that Brixton would take all female convicts, but despite having accommodation for c700 prisoners the prison quickly became overcrowded and the pentagons at Millbank were once again put into use for women in the probationary and penal classes. With the completion of the new purpose-built female prison at Woking in 1869 (ID 1015), all the female prisoners at Brixton were transferred to the new establishment by the end of that year. Brixton was reopened for male prisoners in February 1870, the prison receiving both probationary and public works classes of convicts. In September 1882 Brixton was transferred to the War Office and declared a military prison.
Year 1853
Annual Confined - 75
Daily Census - 75
Year 1858
Annual Confined - 898
Daily Census - 632
Year 1863
Annual Confined - 1125
Daily Census - 584
Year 1868
Annual Confined - 688
Daily Census - 545
Year 1873
Annual Confined - 1318
Daily Census - 463
Year 1878
Annual Confined - 637
Daily Census - 313
Archive name: The National Archives
Catalogue ref: PCOM 7/222
Collection: Prison Commission
Description: Warrants constituting and appointing Convict Prisons etc. Brixton House of Correction
Dates: 1852-1853
Archive name: The National Archives
Catalogue ref: PCOM 7/224
Collection: Prison Commission
Description: Warrants constituting and appointing Convict Prisons etc. Brixton Convict Prison
Dates: 1856-1885
Archive name: The National Archives
Catalogue ref: HO 8/126-206
Collection: Home Office
Description: Quarterly returns of prisoners in Hulks and Convict Prisons, Brixton Prison, London
Dates: 1855-1875