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In Their Own Words: Incorporating Graffiti into the Tourist Experience at the Adelaide Gaol

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The Palgrave Handbook of Prison Tourism

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Prisons and Penology ((PSIPP))

Abstract

Tourist experiences at historical prisons are guided by a limited number of methods designed to enable engagement with the buildings and their ex-residents. Tours are occasionally supplemented with immersive experiences, such as trying on handcuffs or playing the part of an inmate. Narratives of certain prisoners are often emphasized, and the architecture and artefacts are highlighted, but for the most part stories are told through signs and guides and are largely based on official documents and a select few memoirs, diaries or correspondences; including those of prison officials who sometimes act as the guides themselves. This can lead to both biases and the narrative being subject to “whitewashing,” either through historical censorship or the belief that visitors should be protected from the gritty reality of life in prison. It may also create an environment where the visitor learns facts but fails to emotionally connect with the prison or its former residents.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Independent scholar, Canberra, Australia

    Rhiannon Agutter

Authors
  1. Rhiannon Agutter
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Correspondence to Rhiannon Agutter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education and Arts, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia

    Jacqueline Z. Wilson

  2. Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom

    Sarah Hodgkinson

  3. Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Justin Piché

  4. Department of Criminal Justice, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Kevin Walby

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Agutter, R. (2017). In Their Own Words: Incorporating Graffiti into the Tourist Experience at the Adelaide Gaol. In: Wilson, J., Hodgkinson, S., Piché, J., Walby, K. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Prison Tourism. Palgrave Studies in Prisons and Penology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56135-0_39

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56135-0_39

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-56134-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-56135-0

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

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