In 1788, the British began sending prisoners to Australia to alleviate their overcrowded prisons and as part of their strategy to start colonizing the land. Many of these men were not charged with serious offenses, and so after their sentence would be released and begin a new life. Other prisoners would only continue to misbehave, and the worst of these would be sent to the remote and brutal prison colonies in Tasmania. And the worst of these colonies was the Sarah Island Prison where the conditions and punishments were truly horrific. So much so that the prisoners would make frequent escape attempts. Unfortunately, those who were successful were then faced with the harsh reality of the wild and uninhabited Tasmanian outback. And the things they had to do to survive here were perhaps more horrific than the prison itself.