Britain plans to turn Victorian prisons into homes

Some of Britain’s gloomy Victorian prisons, including the one where Oscar Wilde was held for homosexuality, could be turned into homes for thousands of people under plans announced by the government on Monday. The looming 19th century red-brick buildings, which were built close to city centres and are now often in desirable locations, are to be broken up into 3,000 homes. New prisons will then be built to house the inmates.

“Many of our jails are relics from Victorian times on prime real estate in our inner cities,” finance minister George Osborne said ahead of a visit to Brixton prison in south London. “We will close old, outdated prisons in city centres, and sell the sites to build thousands of much-needed new homes,” Osborne said.