“He was tried again for prison breaking, and got made a Lifer.” (221)

In Victorian England, a “Lifer” was an individual who had been sentenced to life in prison – a sentencing that condemned them to do hard labor until they died. In exchange for their lives being spared from hanging, prisoners were sent to British colonies, most notably Australia, from where they could theoretically never make their return. In this way, Dickens is showing the harsh realities of Victorian life for those who made mistakes – while those who followed the rules of society could make amends easily, the penalties were much stiffer for those who broke these rules.

Source:

"A Victorian Prison." The National Archives. Web. 09 Jan. 2010. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/lesson24.htm.