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The Prison Treadmill’s Victorian Roots
By Drooid · · How we work
The Prison Treadmill’s Victorian Roots
The device now known as the treadmill was originally created as a punitive labour apparatus for inmates. Victorian engineer Sir William Cubitt patented the “everlasting staircase” in 1818 as a means to impose hard labour on prisoners. Rather than a single-person gym machine, Cubitt’s design featured a large rotating wheel with steps that allowed several inmates to walk simultaneously.
Design and Operation
Prisoners were typically required to walk on the treadmill for about six hours each day, receiving only roughly twelve minutes of rest per hour of work. The mechanism was often described as a “step machine” rather than a modern treadmill, emphasizing the relentless, repetitive motion that produced little practical output. Some versions were built solely to wear down inmates, not to grind corn or pump water.
Notable Users and Commentary
Academic Vybarr Cregan-Reid has characterized the Victorian treadmill as the “perfect punishment” of its era, noting that it emerged from Enlightenment ideas about fair and corrective punishment. He explained that the exercise was “literally pointless,” intended to make prisoners walk without accomplishing any task. The treadmill was applied to those sentenced to hard labour, including Oscar Wilde, who was forced to use the device after receiving a two-year hard-labour sentence in 1895.
Legacy and Modern Perception
Today’s gym treadmills share only a superficial resemblance to their punitive ancestor, yet the historical link highlights how a device once used for punishment has been repurposed for health and fitness. The contrast underscores shifting societal attitudes toward labour, punishment, and the role of physical exertion in both correctional and recreational contexts.