Bad Girls: The Rebels and Renegades of Holloway Prison

by Caitlin Davies

Society has never known what to do with its rebellious women. Since 1852 many of them have ended up at HM Prison Holloway, western Europe's most infamous female prison. Their crimes ranged from ringing a politician's doorbell to treason, from illicit affairs to opposing nuclear weapons, from stealing clothing coupons to masquerading as men. Rich and poor, famous and forgotten, they all ended up in Holloway.

In Bad Girls, Caitlin Davies explores the fascinating history of the prison and its women. This is a story of victimization and resistance; of oppression and bravery.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, History, Historical, True Crime, Audiobook

376 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2018

About the author

I'm a writer, teacher and journalist, the author of six novels and seven non-fiction books. Many of my early books were inspired by the 12 years I spent in Botswana, where I worked as a teacher, award winning human rights journalist and newspaper editor. My more recent books draw on the stories and history of London. These include The Ghost of Lily Painter, based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, and Family Likeness, inspired in part by the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle ‘Britain’s first black aristocrat’.
Some of my books have a swimming theme, such as Taking the Waters, about the bathing ponds and lido on Hampstead Heath, Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames, and Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World, based on the lives of several Victorian aquatic stars.
Other books have a criminal theme, including Bad Girls: A History of Rebels & Renegades, nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks.
I mentor writers at https://www.storyboardwriter.com/

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holloway Prison was built in 1852 and, although it started as a mixed prison, it soon became just for women. This is social history tells the story of the prison through all its various incarnations – from being re-built to its final closure. Author Caitlin Davies (daughter of Hunter Davies and Margaret Forster) comes from an impeccable literary background and has worked as a journalist, author and teacher. Having lived near Holloway, she had her first teacher placement there and this increased her interest in the notorious prison, which was a London landmark for so long.

Obviously, a history such as this, while fascinating, can only touch on some very interesting people and events. I have read books about some of the people mentioned in this book – Ruth Ellis, Edith Thompson and the Suffragist/Suffragette movement and, indeed, almost every person on these pages could merit a full work of their own. Still, this is a well research account of Holloway, from its beginnings as a Victorian jail until its closure.

In this book, we read accounts of famous, and infamous, prisoners – not only Edith Thompson, Ruth Ellis and Myra Hindley, but the ‘baby farmers,’ Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, the German spy, Eva de Bournouville, described as, “probably the most incompetent woman spy ever recruited by the Germans,” Colonel Victor Barker, who caused a sensation in 1929, when, on admittance to a male prison, ‘he’ was found to have been born Lillian Irma Valerie Barker and more. Of course, there is much about the suffragettes, of WWII and Nazi sympathisers, such as Diana Mosley, formerly Mitford, and of other women held for political beliefs, such as those protesting at Greenham Common.

Also, there is much about the particular issues of incarcerating women. For example, it was a very emotive public issue to sentence a woman to the death penalty and Davies covers the various women executed at Holloway over the years. Also, she looks at prison reform, the issue of women who are mothers, or who become mothers while in prison and more. This really is a very well thought out history of Holloway, which may make you want to explore the specific cases mentioned within the pages in more detail. As I enjoy books which lead you on to further books, I think this is both enjoyable in its own right and useful in inspiring you to delve deeper.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't very engaged with this at first, and thought it might be a three-star read, but it soon turned around. This was fascinating, yet incredibly sympathetic to the women imprisoned in Holloway. I loved this, though some was difficult to read.

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of Holloway Prison told through its inmates and some of the people who worked there, is right up my street. Though Holloway wasn't always a women's prison, it was its days incarcerating only women that were the focus of this extremely well researched and very readable history.

As a society we are fascinated by women in jail, and there have been many dramas and tv documentaries on the subject presenting many colourful if not necessarily accurate windows into that world, from the (retrospectively very tame) Within These Walls to much rawer Screw. This book doesn't attempt to present a general 'reality', but instead looks at what particular women experienced and how their incarceration affected them. The book touches on the famous prisoners such as Diana Mosley, the Suffragettes, Ruth Ellis, Myra Hyndley, but the focus is on lesser-known women, in an attempt to provide a more rounded history, and to show the vast variety of women and the crimes they were punished for. The problem I found with this was, that the more interesting prisoners were simply not typical. The 'typical' prisoners throughout the ages have been women who were struggling, mentally and physically, to survive in a world of poverty and need, to keep their children safe, to keep themselves safe, and while this book keeps coming back to them, they are not the focus.

Which brings me round to the bigger question the book asks, but doesn't satisfactorily answer. Why do we lock up women who need help? What makes women 'criminals' different from men, and should they be treated differently. As I read this book, I was constantly feeling thwarted of that discussion - the cases were presented, the questions asked, but the answers were not tackled. Until the last two, excellent chapters, that is, when the author tries really hard to get to the nitty gritty. This, I felt, would have worked more it it had been threaded through the narrative - as it was, it read like there wasn't enough space for what was at the heart of the book.

But that's me being picky. This really was an eye opener of a read. It's made me ponder all the questions that it does finally address, and it's given me lots of ideas for heroines in my own fiction. By coincidence, I was in London when I finished it, and made a point of seeking out the statues of two of the suffragettes in Westminster. I also did a bit of digging into what is happening now with the Holloway site - when the book finished, the prison was being closed, the site fought over. It looks as if there will be social housing there, there will be 'women's space', there will be public space. But it's not there yet. I have a fear that, like our prison service, though we know what is right and what's wrong, though we know what we need to do to improve it, ultimately we'll adopt a watered down solution.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly fascinating. I was hooked all the way through.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking history of the notorious woman's prison. It shows that while Holloway was a deeply flawed place, it did have its merits and its closure perhaps caused more problems than it solved. Importantly, it again raises the issue that prison may not be the best way to deal with women who break the law and that female prisoners have different needs from male ones.

What I felt Davies does very well is not to pass judgement on either the prisoners or the whose who worked at Holloway. Instead, she focuses on how Holloway's problems were complex and that they often the fault of the penal system rather than particular individuals.

My one regret is that I read the ebook version. I volunteer for a library for homeless people and I think this is exactly the type of book that they would want to read (even if they've never been in trouble with the law, they've probably been the victim of an unfair system). So, it's a shame I am not able to donate my copy to the library.

[Jood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very name Hollloway conjures up the huge Victorian castle-like building, and gives me goosebumps, even though I've never even seen it. I was a small child when Ruth Ellis was hanged but I still remember the feelings of horror that a woman could be put to death. This book is a fascinating read; I could almost hear the sounds within it's walls, and the fear, confusion and abject misery therein.

Starting with a description of the building and the purpose behind it, it moves through the various phases and many of the women held within. Of particular interest to me were the suffragettes, the horrors they endured. especially as they were so recently in the media. Force feeding! Can you even imagine? I used to think it was a matter of a warder sitting in front of a prisoner, urging and bullying her to eat; this couldn't be further from the brutal truth. Housed within Holloway were prisoners both infamous, such as Myra Hindley, but many more whose names mean little or nothing to most of us.

The difference one's class made to the treatment meted out was astonishing. Who knew that those of the upper class lived in furnished rooms, could bring their own furniture and trappings, order special food, have unlimited visitors etc, etc? Incredible.

This is well researched, well written, often eye-opening, never dull. Enjoy isn't quite the right word for this book, but I was riveted from beginning to end and will definitely read it again.

Thanks to Amazon for a complimentary copy for review.

[Rachel Harrison · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title of the book is very misleading. Genuinely thought it would be about certain women who served prison time, didn’t have anything about the prison ‘Holloway’ in the title. This whole book was about the history of Holloway Prison itself. Had moments of introduction certain ‘Bad Girls’ but mainly it was about the building. Still was interesting to learn about its history, but wasn’t why I had picked up the book in the first place.

Made it seem that every woman that is sent to jail is innocent, which is not the case at all. I don’t agree with that. It was made to seem that a woman is only made to do something because of a man’s influence, which is ridiculous. Women can be evil. Women can do things that are wrong without a man. This is the type of feminism that pisses me off. That no matter what a woman does, a man is to blame. So didn’t really enjoy this part of the book. Just constant man blaming.

[Sonia Bellhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coincidentally I was reading this at the same time as I was reading The Secret Letter. This is a social history of Britain’s Holloway women's’ prison. Bad Girls is a sobering book and one that left me both sad and angry at the treatment these women received. I am full of admiration for the courage of the suffragettes. Political prisoners, which essentially what the suffragettes were, were often treated with special harshness. For example, Lilian Lenton was eventually tied to a chair by six wardresses after refusing food and forcibly fed by two male doctors. It was a brutal procedure, forcing a tube down the throat or even in some cases the nose to enable ‘feeding’. In Lilian’s case, the tube was pushed into her windpipe and then food was forced into her lung Women were not ‘given’ the vote. They fought for it, demanded it, and eventually won it. There are heartrending stories of interred so-called’ enemy aliens’- women who had fled Nazi persecution to go to Britain, who then ended up in prison. They could even end up with fascist and Nazi sympathisers and the system did not seem to recognise the difference.
There are of course the ‘celebrity cases’ notorious women who ended up in Holloway. More interesting to me were the so-called criminals who were products of a society that had no compassion for the beaten, the starving, the ill-educated, and the poor. A society that shamed and devalued women while holding them to a higher standard of behaviour and morality than men. Holloway became a women’s prison in 1902 and was closed in 2016- the site has now been sold to a housing association. It is planned to build social housing on much of the site.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work in a women’s prison that was directly affected when Holloway closed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from a historical point of view but I was frustrated and angered by the last few chapters. Yes it captured how the staff felt when Holloway closed but I felt it focused too much on the negative aspects of Holloway rather than the excellent work that it did. If the government hadn’t of made so many cut backs, reducing staff and funding and closing down mental health hospitals, then you wouldn’t have so many mentally unwell prisoners inside. The general public have no idea how hard it is to look after those mentally unwell people. It is the government who are responsible for how bad things have got. Society has changed. Yes, there’s a good majority of female prisoners who follow the regime of a prison but I disagree with the author on comments that there are few female prisoners who are a risk to the public. Prison staff across the board, do a tireless and excellent job of maintaining safety and decency in a prison. I have met Holloway staff that went above and beyond their duties doing a job that many people wouldn’t even consider doing. It’s an incredibly challenging job but there is also a side to it that I don’t feel was recognised enough in this book. I still give this book 5 stars because it is well written and informative, however, if you work in the prison industry, I’d imagine that many other staff would feel annoyed at the last several chapters of this book

[Lucii Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was astonishingly well detailed and well written. I’m a student studying criminology and psychology and this book was definitely right down my alley. It produced a lot of information on those prisoners who may have been known in their time but are never, or rarely, spoke about today as well as including the infamous women and girls of Holloway. I’m lucky to never have been in prison, I don’t ever plan to. But this book shows how women are REALLY treated in prison, or how they were at least. Although I hugely agree with many points this author makes, and rightly so, I still see a very unequal and bias opinion throughout and there’s an imbalance when it comes to both women and men and therefore came across as very much ‘feminist vibes’. If women can commit crimes the same as men, then they too should receive a criminal sentence, a crime is a choice regardless of circumstances (I myself have a very rough past and never went to prison and am now studying in uni). But I do agree that the way women are treated in prisons should be more on the caring, loving and tender approach to reform and rehabilitation. They should have more access to mental health services or even councillors to talk to, which is what I myself want to do in women’s prisons.

Anyway, this was incredibly well written and kept me hooked! Holloway has quite the history!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this meticulously researched and fascinating exploration of how society views, and deals with, women who don't 'conform', Caitlin Davies combines a history of Holloway Prison with insights into the lives of some of the women who were imprisoned there from the time of its opening in 1852 until it was closed in 2016. I think what I found most depressing was the fact that, in spites of numerous 'reforms' during these decades, many of the underlying reasons why women end up in prison (poverty, prejudice, domestic abuse, drugs, poor mental health etc) remain the same! The author shows empathy and understanding in her reflections on the the circumstances which led to their incarceration and there were moments when I found some of her case studies quite distressing.

[Sarah Stocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really thought provoking history of Holloway prison right up to its closure taking in the hangings, the suffragettes, and of course some of its most famous residents. What makes this book stand out is it’s focus on the history the injustices to women incarcerated there many who should not have been there. The book poses the challenge that prison is not for most women who suffer from mental health issues, abuse and self harm. From the Victorian times to present day despite good intentions not much has changed...a fact starkly illustrated throughout the book. This will leave you still thinking after you have turned the last page.

[Alana Bembridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read, enriched in history, fact, passion and in depth insight into the continual plight of women within the criminal justice system. How much further have we really come in female penal reform in the last 167 years since the opening of Holloway? Its complexity is still prevalent now as it was over a century ago. With also having the chance to meet and learn more about the research and thoughts behind the creation of this book it was a enlightening read.

[Amy Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book that tries to fit more than 160 years of history in to 350 pages in going to feel a little ‘surfacey’, but this book clips along at a great pace and manages to include most of Holloway’s ‘greatest hits’ whilst maintaining a reverence and sympathy instead of becoming sensational or trashy. A good feminist read.

[Bx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Change of job

This book is fantastic. It recognises that women can do bad things and be locked away, but also that women can go against social norms and be locked away, and sometimes being locked away was better than the abuse of outside world. Beautifully written, powerful and emotive. I totally thought about changing my job!

[Kerry Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at the history of Holloway prison and some of the inmates who stayed inside.

This was an interesting read but didn't entice me as much as I thought it would. I found the inmates stories a little lacking in detail. Still a fascinating look at the prison itself.

[Jools · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched, insightful, sympathetic without being mawkish. A book everyone should read. It says a lot about feminism and the state's treatment of "inconvenient women", and brings the narrative up to date by shining a light on the woeful inadequacies of prison provision today.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Diane Harold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! a fascinating and educating read. I bought this after having heard the author speak about it on Radio 4... If you like social history this is one for you!

[Lucía · Rating 4 out of 5]

This history of Holloway Prison is framed as a history of British society's expectations of 'womanly' behaviour, and a century and a half of trying to determine the purpose of prison.

[Sue Chant · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing look at the life of Holloway prison and the changing attitudes to women's incarceration.

[Read NoTrash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great info.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating history of women and women's rights through the lens of the history of Holloway Prison.

[Nicki Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found the historical stuff really interesting but the more recent info could have had loads more detail.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating read! Everyone should read this, especially if you are a woman.

[Florence🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

not quite sure how to review this one. i’m not even sure why i picked it up! i’ve only ever visited london twice in my life for very short periods and i’d never even heard of holloway prison before this book. a interesting and very well researched overview of the history of the building(s) however, with certain inmates over the years focused on in each chapter. prison could be such a force for good if it focused on rehabilitation and care, as is it seems to be an institution that does far more harm than good, as did the eventual closing of holloway in 2016

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to put this book down, a fascinating read! It made me Google all sorts of things, leading me down many rabbit holes of interesting women and topics related to Holloway.

[Leah Gray-Scaife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Girls unfolds the history of Holloway, which was once the largest female prison in the UK. The book guides us from its origins in the 1850s as a Victorian punishment castle to its refurbishment and final closure in 2016. It tells the stories of the famous women known to have been held there including rebellious suffragettes, World War 2 spies and even escapees. The author also reflects on the real price people pay when they go to prison and the injustices many women suffered during their time. There are stories of women wrongly convicted, forcefully fed and badly treated in terrible conditions. More than anything this book shows a stark and honest history, which can sometimes be hard to read but one which must be told.

[Ashley Cartwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult book a lot of the crimes that women were imprisoned for were ridiculous!!

I also found it interesting that a lot of mother baby killers were seen as sympathetic to judges/juries with some being in prison only a few years but anyone involved in an affair/partner murder was seen as vile and a woman who never even murdered her husband was executed as she must have been involved in the planning.

#popsugarreadingchallenge - A book about feminism

[Simone The Glam Historian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book early this year. Great read. I couldn’t put it down! It’s about the history of HMP Holloway, a women’s prison in London founded in 1852 and closed in 2016. It takes you through its halls from the old castle-like structure that was built as a “deterrent for wrong doers” to the modern version over a century later.

Inside are the stories of women, some very famous - the suffragettes such as the Pankhurst’s or Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, Cumann na mBan member Countess Markieviicz to the VERY infamous such as murderer Myra Hindley. It covers the 5 executions that happened there and the sad stories behind some of them. Stories of sadness, chilling stories and stories of triumph all in one. Caitlin Davies tells them honestly, with insight and shows both sides of the coin of life in prison for prisoners and staff. She discusses how the prison system and laws that often failed women, how it tried to change and what the outcomes were and what continues to be. A great read! 8/10