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Sark – one of the four main islands of the Channel Islands – is a tiny island, measuring just 2.1 square miles, with a population of around 500 people, or slightly more. Despite its small size, the island also boasts a prison befitting its size.
In fact, the prison on this picturesque island is believed to be the smallest of its kind anywhere in the world and is still in use today.
This tiny building consists of only two windowless cells, each measuring nearly 4 square meters.2, and a corridor about 90 cm wide ran in front of them, running along the length of the building. The only amenities in the cell were wooden beds and thin mattresses.
This most modest prison was built in 1856, and only had the authority to detain prisoners for a maximum of two days. If the crime was more serious or the punishment required a longer period, the offender would be transferred to a larger facility on the nearby Channel Island of Guernsey.
One of the earliest prisoners here was a young maid, jailed for stealing her lover's pocket handkerchief. The story goes that the girl was so afraid of the dark that she was allowed to sit on the doorstep, where local women would visit and knit with her until her sentence was completed.
The last serious criminal to be imprisoned on the island up to 1990 was a French nuclear physicist, André Gardes. He sailed from France to the island (a distance of 25 miles), carrying a semi-automatic weapon. André Gardes declared himself the Lord of Sark and that the island was now under his rule. One day after landing, he was punched in the face by local police and arrested.
Sark's police force consists of only two people: a police officer and an assistant (or technician). And their work on the island is quite busy. In fact, last year, assistant Mike Fawson said the island was "overrun" with crime and officers should be equipped with pepper spray to deal with suspects. He said the crimes ranged from drug trafficking and alcohol-related violence to drunk driving.
However, the offense of "drunk driving" here is quite unique, as cars are banned on Sark. Locals are permitted to drive tractors, operate horses and horse-drawn carriages, and ride bicycles; the elderly and disabled may drive battery-powered strollers.
In his report to Sark's Chief of Staff, Assistant Fawson suggested checking the backgrounds of everyone arriving on the island. He wrote: "Sark has been (and currently) troubled by many people with criminal records. In many cases, we had no information about them until they committed a crime."
Besides this famous prison, Sark Island is also a stunning tourist destination, shaped like a giant seashell covered in lush gorse and honeysuckle forests. It was the last feudal island nation of Western Europe, ruled by Queen Elizabeth I. The unique landscape, culture, and people make Sark one of the most attractive tourist destinations.
Tourists visiting Sark Island will immediately notice its unique tranquility, a stark contrast to modern countries. There are no airports, cars, or paved roads in Sark; life there remains completely untouched by the modern world. You'll be overwhelmed by the vastness of the ocean and delighted by the gentle murmur of the waves crashing against the rugged rocks, creating a white foam.
Although only 3 miles long, Sark Island offers fantastic opportunities for horseback riders, hikers, cyclists, fishermen, sailors, and divers. Visitors can fish for species such as wrasse, pollock, mullet, snapper, bass, and bream from the cliffs. Other fish species like mackerel, flounder, shark, and eels are also abundant offshore.
The pace of life on the island is so relaxed that anyone who comes here feels like time is flying by so quickly...
