Accounts of harvesting show that workers could include soldiers (although increasingly less as the war went on), school children, land-girls, conscientious objectors and PoWs (initially Italian and later German) but what I would like to know is were there any efforts to use convicts? To avoid any wasted effort I do know how to use google and I need sources that I could cite so wiki doesn't cut it. I have found numerous diary (some unpublished) references to the variety of different people involved but no mention of convicted criminals who were presumably taking their leisure at HM's pleasure whilst everyone else sweated. I'm nearing completion of a post grad dissertation and the last thing I want is some last minute revelation so, as in the wedding ceremony if any one knows any just impediment .....
Have you tried searching Hansard archives? Sounds like something which could've been brought up though possibly prisoners were also encouraged to grow their own produce. I'd imagine though the security/flight risks of some categories of prisoners might have made 'civilian' farm work unlikely. (An escaped POW would be easier to track down than a native.) There were prison workshops eg Suitcase and unidentified bag (kitbag?)
Found an answer in an article by a couple of academics in The Prison Service Journal. Summarised - The prison population dropped because on the outbreak of war prisoners serving short sentences were released Prison workshops sewing mail bags switched to making kit bags etc. Others made dolls and teddy bears for evacuee and bombed out children. Prison farms and small holdings were opened and worked by trustees under supervision. Other trustee cleared gardens and generally helped the dig for victory campaign I can't help but have a mental picture of the late Arthur Mullard in an broad arrowed jacket sewing up a teddy bear or Peter Vaughn AKA Genial Harry Grout tying tiny bows onto a doll!
Many prison buildings were 'shared' with military authorities. Some London jails also served as air raid shelters for the general public.
One of the reasons for freeing short sentence prisoners was to free up enough cell space to evacuate prisons in London. This was not out of concern for prisoner's welfare but there was concern that a devastating series of air raids might result in dangerous prisoners roaming the streets. MI5 took over the emptied Wandsworth Prison
