State Authority and Convict Agency in the Paper Panopticon: The Recording of Convict Ages in Nineteenth-Century England and Australia

Abstract

The nineteenth century witnessed the creation of a ‘paper Panopticon’ designed to capture information about offenders in England, especially those who were transported to Australia. This article considers the effectiveness of this new record-keeping system and asks whether convicts had some agency within it. These questions are explored through a macroscopic analysis of the recording of convict ages in nineteenth-century England and Australia, made possible by the Digital Panopticon project. By using the methodological opportunities opened up by digital technologies, we can test the accuracy of historical records in new ways, and in the process develop a better understanding of the encounter between state authority and convict agency.