In 2020, HMP Winchester contacted Winchester Magazine to appeal for art materials and books to support prisoners who were spending extended time in cells due to Covid control. 

The magazine ran a series of social media posts and donations flooded in as well as gifts of sweets and cakes for prison staff.

When the Pandemic ended, editor Liz Kavanagh was commissioned by the prison to write a book documenting 175 years of history and telling the stories of prisoners and staff in their own words.

The idea was to provide a resource for prisoners to use in English lessons and in the prison library. 

Doing Time was first published in 2022. 

In 2023 P&G Wells added Doing Time to its shelves. It was the bookshop's 2023 best-seller. 

An accompanying exhibition and talk toured arts venues, libraries, schools and colleges. 

This outreach work is now supported by The Office of The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and The Isle of Wight.