Prison Break

An hour an a half drive from Hobart is the town of Port Arthur. The penal colony there was constructed in the 1800's for the most hardened criminals from England and Ireland but is now a world heritage site. The complex also housed a women's prison and Puer Island, the first juvenile facility establish by the British for young boys. The bucolic setting which included beautiful gardens and churches seemed at odds with the original concept of a prison, although this prison touted its efforts to develop psychological methods for prisoner reform. Perhaps the prisoner's favorite song would have been "Unchained Melody."