Dartmoor Prison Museum, although outside of the walls, is part of the operational prison, the reputation of which is known worldwide even amongst those with no interest in crime and punishment. The museum focuses on the history of incarceration at Dartmoor and how this has changed over time. This can lead to an assumption that the museum is a shop window for what happens behind the walls out of the sight of the public. By association, the museum serves to either reinforce or alter public perception. This question forms the basis for this article, with an added dimension as to how far the museum goes to adding to or changing the perception of visitors’ understanding of crime and punishment in the UK.
As a Curator at Dartmoor Prison Museum, I am constantly asking myself if what we provide is what visitors want and if it isn’t, what do they want?
