In the movie Wilde, there is a depiction of Oscar Wilde and others at Hard Labor. The scene is a little hard to describe and it has been a while since I saw the film.
As I recall, the men are facing a wall and each has his own stall. Running under them is a large cylinder with “stairs” on the surface so that each man is on a kind of stair master. There is no indication how long they have to spend trudging on this equiment each day.
I always assumed that hard labor was a benefit to someone. People need small rocks, so inmates break rock; ditches need to be dug, trashed collected and so on. But I can’t see anything other than torture to being put on a human wheel.
For those who haven’t seen the movie, I can recommend it, but with the caveat that the plot keywaords listed on IMDb are: Male Nudity/ Diving/ Bare Butt and Undressing Scene.
My actual question is, how realistic is the portrayal of Hard Labor in a London Prison circa 1895?