Port Arthur penitentiary

Port Arthur on the Tasmanian Peninsula was one of the two most important penal settlements in Australia; 160,000 convicts went through its doors in the mid-1800s. You can go round the site now and it's a really interesting day out.
I thought it would be a pretty grim experience but the excellent guides explained there was a dual emphasis on punishment AND reform. The men were taught well and acquired excellent skills in shipbuilding, masonry, carpentry etc so that they could get work when they left, which most did. But it was still grim - tiny cells and harsh punishment - though no worse than UK prisons of the day.