THE SPECIAL UNIT BARLINNIE PRISON. 1975. ONE OF 500 HANDNUMBERED COPIES.

Edinburgh: Demarco Gallery, 1975
43 x 29cm, 36pp plus wrappers. Large format documentation in book form of the Special Unit at Barlinnie Prison where the most famous inmate was Jimmy Boyle – a convicted murder and “hard man” was in jail but part of a special scheme to see the effects of art therapy on recidivism.

Later to be a Scottish cause celebre, Boyle became a wholly reformed character through his development as a sculptor – much to the disbelief of the UK tabloid press who seemed to want Boyle to revert to his former violent ways. Boyle was later released from prison on parole and never re-offended.  Despite protests, and some evidence to show the Unit was a positive force for reform of otherwise difficult offenders, the unit was later shut down by the Tory Government/prison authorities during a period of political agitation by the tabloid press who complained of any treatment of prisoners which seemed “soft”.

This book reproduces many letters and images shared between Boyle, others in the Unit and Demarco. The upbeat nature of all (and some remarkably over optimistic bleeding heart postcards) does chafe a little – the unit was a fantastic idea and had real effect but those letters from the upper class who have never experienced one minute of the sort of background Boyle had as a child and teenager seem a tad dreamy. Demarco however has to be given credit for a genuine attempt to improve the lot of Scottish prisoners and this is an early example of social engagement art.

Anyhow this is very scarce and one of 500 numbered copies. VG+.