The greatest number of prisoners at one time in the last year was 60, and the whole number of commitments during the year 214, of whom 45 were debtors. ASHBORNE. County House of Correction. Jan. 1824. THIS prison does not admit of further classification than that of a separation of males and females, there being only two airingyards. There is not sufficient room to carry on any regular work or employment. There are 15 separate sleeping cells, and five rooms, in which 38 prisoners were confined at one time in the last year. The whole number of commitments during the year was 152. A chaplain attends twice a week or oftener, and the prisoners are supplied with bibles, prayer-books, and religious tracts. The prisoners are allowed each one pound and a half of bread per day; no clothing is furnished. This prison is appropriated to the reception of persons charged with misdemeanors, and petty offences, committed in the neighbourhood, convicts under sentence of short imprisonment, and vagrants. When the new county gaol and house of correction at Derby are completed, this prison, as well as the other county houses of correction, which are in a defective state, will probably be retained only as lock-up houses, or for the confinement of vagrants. CHESTERFIELD. County House of Correction. Jan. 1824. THIS prison contains only one day-room, with two airingyards, and eight sleeping cells, in which 24 prisoners were confined at one time in the last year. There is no employment for the men. The women knit and spin. There is no chaplain appointed, but the prisoners are supplied with bibles and other books. Each prisoner is allowed one pound and a half of bread daily. No clothing is furnished but when absolutely necesssary. The cases of sickness were as many as 45, during the last year. A separate room at the top of the prison is used for the sick. The number of prisoners committed during the year was 142. The allowance of bread last year was only half this quantity, TIDESWELL. County House of Correction. Jan. 1824. THIS prison contains only two divisions, one for men, and one for women; each having a day-room and yard, and two sleepingcells. No employment is carried on. No chaplain is appointed, nor any provision made for the instruction of the prisoners. Happily, the number in confinement is but small, five being the greatest number at one time, and 26 the whole number of commitments during the year. Each prisoner is allowed 2s. 4d. weekly, in money, for the purchase of food, &c. WIRKSWORTH. County House of Correction. Jan. 1824. THIS prison contains eight sleeping-cells, three rooms, and two yards. There is no employment. No chaplain is appointed, but the prisoners are supplied with bibles and religious books. One pound and a half of bread per day, is allowed to each prisoner. No clothing is provided. Nine prisoners were in confinement at one time during the last year. DEVONSHIRE. EXETER. County Gaol. May 1824. In this prison there are but two divisions; one for the male, and the other for the female prisoners. To the division of the men are appropriated two wards, each having a day-room, a court-yard, and several cells on the same floor. The cells were originally intended for night-cells, but they are used during the day by the prisoners to mess in, and are generally in a filthy state. In one ward, the greater proportion of the prisoners are usually capital convicts, or transports, in double irons. In the other are prisoners of almost every description to be met with in a county prison; viz. prisoners untried, prisoners sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, from three months to five years, and prisoners under sentence of death; all in entire idleness, uninspected, and generally engaged in corrupting each other. There have been as many as 120 male prisoners in confinement at one time. Not long since, four lunatics were committed as persons dangerous to be at large, although there is a lunatic asylum at Exeter. Prisoners committed for trial, on charges of felony, were ironed; the weight of their fetters being from 7 lb. to 9 lb. Plans have been at times under the consideration of the county magistrates, for the enlargement of this prison, as also of the house of correction, but they are delayed from time to time on the ground of expense. In the mean time, the evils resulting from the neglect of prison discipline are very conspicuous. Recommitments are frequent. The number of juvenile offenders has greatly increased. Many instances are known of boys and girls, who, having passed but a few months in this prison, for slight offences, have returned into confinement for heavy crimes. EXETER. County House of Correction. May 1824. THIS prison was originally constructed for the confinement of 72 prisoners; it being intended that each individual should have a separate sleeping-cell. So great, however, has been the increase in the number of committals since that period, that as many as 270 persons have been at one time in confinement; and it has therefore been necessary to place five, and in some cases, seven prisoners in one night-cell, the dimensions of which are 7 feet by 10 feet. Surely the fact of so many prisoners being shut up in this small space for a period, as in winter, of 15 hours out of the 24, is deserving of some consideration. The classification during the day is also very imperfect. In the misdemeanants' ward there were, not long since, 46 prisoners; among these were three insane persons, one of whom had been in confinement 16 years; another eight, and a third three years. It will hardly be credited, that in the bridewell of so populous a county, there should be no separate infirmary; but such is the fact. The prisoners have consequently suffered much in health, and the prison in discipline. The surgeon has made frequent representations to this effect, but still nothing has been done for the erection of an infirmary; which would be an essential accommodation for the sick, and materially promote the order and good management of the prison. EXETER. City Gaol and House of Correction. Jan. 1824. THIS small prison, which is built upon a very good plan, was described in the last year's Report; since which time no material alterations have taken place. The tread-wheel labour is stated to have produced a good effect on prisoners who have been subjected to its operation; but no profit is attached to it; the power is applied to the beating of hemp. Prisoners who work at the tread-wheels are allowed one pound of mutton in the week, in addition to the prison allowance of bread and potatoes. The weekly cost of food is 2s. 9 d. per head. A matron has been appointed for the female department. During the last year, the greatest number of prisoners at one time was 36. The whole number of commitments amounted to 137; viz. felons, 30; misdemeanants, 68; debtors, 39. The number of recommittals was eight. DORSETSHIRE. DORCHESTER. County Gaol and House of Correction. Jan. 1824. THESE prisons, which are united, contain nine departments for male prisoners, and four for females; a further subdivision of the courts is in progress, in order to render the classification more complete. An infirmary is provided for the men; and the women, when sick, have separate rooms in their wards. * Prisoners sentenced to hard labour, work on the tread-wheels, (as described in the last year's Report:) other prisoners are employed in the nursery garden, or in the bakehouse, and occasionally in bricklaying and masonry, when repairs or alterations are going on in the prison. The visiting justices are of opinion, after an experience of nearly two years, that the discipline of the tread-mill has answered effectually the views of the legislature, the expectations of the magistrates, and of the country at large. The women cook and wash for the service of the prison. * It is hoped that some means of central inspection will also be contrived, as noticed in the Appendix to the last Report. The amount of the prisoners' earnings for the last year was £487. Os. 5d.; of which sum the prisoners were allowed £84. 11s. Od.; the gaoler £82. 16s. 8d., and the remainder £319. 12s. 9d., was placed to the credit of the county stock. Convicts sentenced to hard labour, are not allowed any part of their earnings; convicted prisoners, not sentenced to hard labour, are allowed one-sixth; prisoners for trial, and debtors, are allowed one-half their earnings. The prisoners are allowed clothing, which costs about £2. 14s. Od. per head. The weekly cost of food is 2s. 4 d. per head. The dietary is the same. There is a school in the prison for juvenile offenders, under the superintendence of the chaplain. Prayers are read in the chapel every morning by the chaplain, who also reads prayers twice and preaches a sermon on Sundays. There are 80 separate sleeping cells, but 190 prisoners were confined at one time in the last year; and the whole number of commitments during the year was 497. The recommitments appear to be very heavy, having amounted during that period to 139.* The officers of the prison consist of the keeper, a clerk, and two turnkeys, with a matron for the female department. DURHAM. County Gaol and House of Correction. May 1824. THE classification of the prisoners continues the same as in the last year. There are ten separate wards, with nine airingyards; part of these radiate, and are under inspection from the keeper's house. Since the introduction of the tread-mill, which is employed in grinding corn for the public, there has been no profit arising from the labour of the prisoners; the expense of the mill, together with the miller's wages, being considerably more than the value of the corn ground. On the discharge of every prisoner thus employed, he is allowed a sum of money not exceeding 20s., to enable him to return to his home, if he has conducted himself orderly during his imprisonment. The tread-wheels are divided into four distinct compartments, and the prisoners are under the inspection of two men, appointed by the governor, and who constantly attend them for that purpose. Thirty-two prisoners, in four classes, are thus employed; female Vide Parliamentary Returns for 1823. |