America's Forgotten Prisons
Documenting the jails, brigs, and houses of correction that history left behind
Explore the Lockups
Documenting the jails, brigs, and houses of correction that history left behind
Explore the Lockups
From maritime brigs to colonial houses of correction, each city tells a story history tried to erase
From forgotten maritime brigs to colonial houses of correction, we document the prisons that fell through the cracks of history. Some burned down. Some were torn apart for scrap. Some simply vanished into the fog.
We find them. We tell their stories. We bring them back.
All institutions and inmates are works of historical fiction, inspired by real periods and plausible timelines.
The prisoners history forgot — until now
The melodeon player who served 30 days... and stayed for 30 years. Nobody told him his sentence was up. By the time they did, he had nowhere else to go.
Read Full Story →The first and only woman imprisoned in Provincetown's House of Correction. She was so relentlessly difficult that two guards quit before her sentence ended.
Read Full Story →Locked up for three days for playing a concertina "at an unseasonable hour." The constable warned that a second offense would result in destruction of the instrument.
Read Full Story →Vintage-inspired merchandise from America's forgotten lockups
Classic Logo Tee
Provincetown
House of Correction Hoodie
Boston
Enamel Camp Mug
Provincetown
Vintage Trucker Hat
Boston
Get notified when we uncover new prisons, drop limited merch, and release infamous inmate stories