Parkhurst as an institution began in 1778, originally serving as a military hospital and children's asylum. By 1838, it had transformed into a prison for children. 123
Parkhurst apprentices were sent to the
Colony of New Zealand in 1842 and 1843, and nearly 1500 boys between the ages of 12 and 18 were sent to various colonies in Australia and New Zealand. The
Swan River Colony (
Western Australia) received 234 apprentices between 1842 and 1849, then
chose to accept adult convicts as well.
Victoria and
Tasmania also received "Parkhurst Boys", who were always referred to officially as "apprentices", not convicts. During this period, Parkhurst Prison Governor Captain
George Hall (in office from 1843 to 1861) employed the boys to make bricks for the construction of the C and M block wings of the prison building. The prison became a focal point for reformers, most notably
Mary Carpenter (1807–1877), who campaigned against the use of imprisonment for children. In 1966, Parkhurst became one of the few top-security prisons in the United Kingdom, known as
"Dispersals", because they separated more troublesome prisoners rather than housing them all together in one place. However, it lost its "Dispersal" status in 1995.
1995 escape On 3 January 1995, three prisoners (two murderers and a blackmailer) escaped from Parkhurst prison and enjoyed four days of freedom before being recaptured. One of the escapees, Keith Rose, was an amateur pilot. During those four days, the escapees lived rough in a shed in a garden in Ryde, after failing to steal a plane from the local flying club. ==Notable inmates==