Jimmy Boyle

Jimmy Boyle is a Scottish sculptor and author from the Gorbals district of Glasgow. His early life involved crime and imprisonment, and he received a life sentence following a murder conviction in 1967. Participation in an arts-based rehabilitation programme in 1973 introduced him to the work that would become his subsequent career.

Boyle’s autobiography A Sense of Freedom, first published in 1977, recounts his upbringing and experience of prison. His later recognition as an artist brought sculpture and writing into a public discussion about imprisonment, rehabilitation and the possibility of changing a life through creative work.