The prison (which has been built about six years) contains four separate yards, with work-rooms, and about thirty sleepingrooms. Each prisoner has a separate sleeping-cell, as the number in confinement has seldom exceeded twenty.

Religious services are performed on Sundays by the chaplain, and the prisoners are supplied with Bibles and other suitable books.

THIS is a small prison, serving for Grantham, and thirteen neighbouring villages. In the course of the last year, the former building was pulled down, and a new one has been erected, containing two courts, with three cells opening into each court, for male prisoners, and the same accommodation for females. A suitable apartment has also been erected for male vagrants, and another for females, each opening into a yard apart from the rest of the prison.

No change has taken place in the management or discipline of the prison, excepting that its improved construction enables the governor more effectually to separate the prisoners.

The sessions having recently been held, there is at present only one prisoner in confinement. He is sentenced to six months imprisonment, and is employed in making wooden skewers.

The vicar of Grantham occasionally attends for the instruction of the prisoners: no other means are adopted for their moral and religious improvement. No employment has been introduced by authority into this gaol, but prisoners who have trades are allowed to work at the same.

The governor states that he has not used irons for the last ten years.

The number of commitments has been :

In the year 1822-For felony, 4; for bastardy, 2; for assaults, 2.

In the year 1823:-For felony, 2; for bastardy, 3.
In 1824, to March 21st:-For felony, 5.

MIDDLESEX.

NEWGATE.

Oct. 1824.

THE number of commitments to this prison, in the last year, ending December 31, was 2,166, of which 1,690 were males, and 476 females.

There were at this time, Males convicted

.... for trial...

116

....

106

222

Of which 23 males and one female were under sentence of death. Of the males under sentence of death, five were boys: one of 16, two of 14, one of 13, and one of 12 years of age. The prisoners under sentence of death are no longer put two in a sleeping-cell, but always three or four. The power given to the Judges, to record a sentence of death without passing it, has not yet been exercised in the county of Middlesex.

Sixteen men and two women were in the infirmary: the greatest number of sick at one time during the last year was only 23.

Two divisions of transports had lately been sent off; viz. 25 to the Hulks, and 14 to the Penitentiary. There were 50 transports at this time in Newgate.

The diet and other particulars remain as stated in the last year's Report (which contained a full description of this prison :). the only alteration observed on this visit is, that a large green curtain has been put up in the chapel, to screen the women from the view of the men, which it appears calculated to do effectually. Prisoners of all descriptions are allowed to see their friends daily, between the hours of ten and two, and to receive provisions from them, and also a certain quantity of malt liquor.

The untried prisoners are kept in two separate yards; they are selected generally according to the state of their persons and apparel (whether more or less dirty and ragged,) and not according to the nature of their offences.

There were only seven boys in the school; of which two were under sentence of death, and five for trial. The remainder of the boys were mixed with the men,

The windows of the prison, with the exception of the infirmary, and one ward in the chapel-yard, are not glazed, being covered only with oiled paper; and some of the prisoners complained of suffering from the cold air at night, as the frames do not shut close. Cleanliness and ventilation appear well attended to, and there was no disagreeable smell in any part of the gaol. The prisoners seemed orderly, and respectful in their demeanour; and there was no appearance of gaming of any kind in the prison.

Nothing has yet been done with a view of complying with the new Gaol Act; and it does not appear to be in contemplation to improve the construction of the building, classification, &c.

There seems to be no diminution in the number of offences, but they are of a less heinous description than formerly.

The bread used here and at the house of correction in Giltspurstreet, is made at the latter prison.

The governor, and all the officers of the prison, are remarkably attentive to the performance of their duties.

The greatest number of prisoners in confinement at one time in the last year was 526. The number of persons recognised to have been in confinement before, during the whole year, was 224; but as many prisoners come in under different names, it is difficult to ascertain correctly all those who have been before committed.

The female side of Newgate continues to be visited by the members of the Ladies' Committee, with that steady and unabated perseverance which has so long characterised their benevolent labours. The good conduct of the prisoners was lately remarked, with peculiar satisfaction, during the illness of the matron, by the quietness of their behaviour, and the concern they evinced at the necessity of her leaving the prison for change of air. This part of the prison was recently visited by Mr. Justice Bayley, in company with the late Sheriffs, and several Magistrates, who expressed their approbation of the arrangement made by the Ladies: a donation of £100 from the Sheriffs' fund has been voted for its support.

It is still to be lamented, that for want of room it is impossible to class the female prisoners according to the character of their guilt. The necessity of such a separation, combined with the means of constant employment and inspection, is considered indispensable, to give full effect to the system which has already produced such beneficial results. It is a subject worthy of the serious consideration of the magistrates, whether this object

would not be effected most advantageously by the erection of a separate prison, for females only; a measure which has been recently determined upon by the Middlesex magistrates, at the county house of correction, Coldbath-fields.

f

GILTSPUR-STREET PRISON.

Oct. 1824.

THERE appeared but little alteration in this prison since the last Report. Some improvement in the classification, it is said, has been made, but it is still far from being conformable to the new Act. Thus, in the house of correction, all the convicts are in some degree separated into two classes at night; but they are all mixed together in the day-time: many of the "fines" were placed in the same yard with men awaiting their trial at the sessions.

There is no classification among the women, excepting that those in the house of correction are kept separate from those in the other part of the prison: but these, as well as the other defects of this prison, imply no reflection on its attentive and benevolent governor.

There were, at this time, in the house of correction,

The greatest number of prisoners at one time in the last year was 145.

The hand-crank mill, for grinding corn, for the use of the prisoners, and for those in Newgate, is constantly at work, and occupies twenty men, viz. ten on and ten off, each party working and resting for twenty-five minutes alternately. The labour appears to be severe, and the taskmaster said it seldom happened that the men were not in a state of perspiration when leaving the windlass. They labour from nine to twelve, and again from one to four, and grind about twelve bushels of wheat per day. The bread is made and baked here, and appeared remarkably good.

as

The diet of the prison continues exactly the same mentioned in the last Report. Besides the half-pound of bread extra to those who work at the mill, they have each sixpence per

week to enable them to purchase tea, sugar, &c.

The friends of prisoners are allowed to bring them victuals, but no liquors. Four or five prisoners in the house of correction were employed in cutting fire-wood, but only three were employed at the flaxbreaking, though there are machines for ten persons.

All the men in the house of correction wear a prison-dress of coarse woollen. The cost per head for clothing is 19s. 9d. for the men, and for the women 14s. 9d.

About 16 men sleep in a room, generally in separate beds, but occasionally, it appeared, two together. A small room, with three beds, was allotted to the boys, in which five were at this time confined.

The female convicts wash for the whole of the prison: they also make the prisoners' shirts, and some of them are engaged in spinning.

A portion of the Ladies' Committee from Newgate visit this prison, and usually attend five days in the week.

There was one female in the infirmary at this time, and seven men. The latter are placed in two rooms, of which one, a very small one, is on the ground floor, opening at once to the outward air: the other is up-stairs, and leads immediately into the room of the nurse, a very decent widow woman, who has the care of the sick male prisoners.

There is no school in this prison. The task-master reads prayers every morning, and the chaplain performs divine service, and preaches every Sunday morning. Another clergyman reads prayers on a Sunday afternoon. In the chapel all the prisoners sit below (there being no gallery), and a green curtain is drawn before the women's pew, in order to screen them from the view of the men, but it does not seem calculated to do this very effectually.

The prison in general appeared clean. In one of the two yards appropriated to prisoners confined on charges, many visitors had been admitted (among them three or four women,) and were mixed with the prisoners.

No irons are used in this prison.

The number of commitments from Michaelmas 1822, to Michaelmas 1823, was 4539. The number of re-commitments, during the same period, was, of prisoners who had been confined

Once before

Twice