56 



Proceedings of Public Societies. 



[Feb. {, 



provement of prison discipline, and 

 tiie reformatioa of juvenile offenders. 

 Tlieir uttention lias been occupied, 

 not in a revision of the law, but in the 

 attempt to render its penalties most 

 effective — by administering imprison- 

 ment, so as at once to deter and re- 

 claim the offender, and impress ail 

 who contemplate a violation of the law 

 with the dread of punishment." 



Such a declaration may recommend 

 the Society to some persons, but to 

 us, who view the Criminal Code with 

 horror, and its indiscriminating and 

 sweeping application witli unceasing 

 aflliction for two-thirds of ils victims, 

 we consider such avowed insensibility 

 as affording prima facia evidence that 

 the Society is serving rather as an 

 auxiliary of a bad system than an 

 agent of those benevolent principles 

 on these subjects whicli now begin to 

 govern the world. At the same time, 

 we entertain no doubt of the good in- 

 tentions of these parties; but we doubt 

 whether it is cctrrect to confer i)lausi- 

 bility on a syslem radically wrong, 

 which is maintained by a cruel and 

 stiff-necked policy, and wliicij policy 

 merits no respect from liberal minds. 



Passing by tiie cant about gaols not 

 being made places of comfort, we ar- 

 rive at the following declaration, in 

 which the Committee forget that pri- 

 vation of personal liberty is itself the 

 greatest of punishments : — "The Com- 

 mittee are of opinion, and have always 

 contended, that severe punishment 

 must form the basis of an effective 

 system of prison-discipline. The per- 

 .sonal suffering of the oH'ender must be 

 the first consideration, as well for his 

 own interest as for the sake of exam- 

 ple : he must be made to feel that this 

 suffering attends the infringement of 

 the laws, and the violation of the 

 peace and property of the commu- 

 nity." 



In Newgate considerable alteration 

 has taken plaee; but no amendment 

 of which this prison \t capable can 

 supersede the urgent necessity which 

 exists for the erection of another pri- 

 son. 'Jhe |iresent state of this gaol 

 forms, however, a striking contrast to 

 its situation some years back. Classi- 

 fication is now maintained as far as 

 possible. The juvenile prisoners are 

 employed in flax-dressing. 



The House of Correction in Gilt- 

 spur-street is still lamentably defec- 

 tive in the classification of convicted 

 offenders, of whom there are but three 



classes, — men, women, and boys. The 

 general labour for the men is grinding 

 corn, for the use of the prison and 

 Newgate : this is performed by a hand- 

 mill. The bread for both prisons is 

 baked here. Bruising tlax is the usual 

 employment for the juvenile prisoners: 

 sawing wood has also been introduced. 

 The women are employed at spinning, 

 washing, &c. 



During the last year, no fewer than 

 4,622 prisoners passed through the 

 New Prison, Clerkenwell ; and this 

 m;iy be considered as a fair average of 

 annual commitments. 



In the House of Correction, Cold- 

 bath fields, the extensive machinery 

 for the employment of the prisoners 

 by the tread-wheel, is now completed. 

 In eight of the yards wheels have born , 

 erected; so that, including relays, up- 

 wards of 300 prisoners may be kept in 

 regular employment. This prison is 

 very full; there being occasionally 

 above double the number of prisoners 

 in confinement that the building was 

 originally designed to contain.— 3,.37(> 

 prisoners were committed to this pri- 

 son in the course of the year 1821. 



The Bridewell in Tothill Fields 

 continues to be the most defective 

 prison in tJie metropolis. The evils 

 which have been already pointed out 

 in this deplorable place of confinement, 

 remain unreformed. Great praise is 

 due to the governor for his having dis- 

 pensed r/enerallii with the use of irotts, 

 notw ithstandin'g the bad construction 

 of the prison. 



At the Bedford county -gaol, several 

 on entering the prison, who were com- 

 mitted in default of the payment of 

 penallics, have gladly paid the money 

 at the sight of the mill. The prisoners 

 work on separate tread-wheels. The 

 governor, from his residence, com- 

 mands a complete inspection of the 

 prisoners while at work on tlie wheels, 

 as well as in their wards. The pro- 

 duce of the mill is partly consumed in 

 the prison, and wheat is ground at a 

 moderate expense for the public. 



In the county House of Correction 

 at Abingdon, the prisoners are em- 

 ployed in the manufacture of sacking 

 in ail its branches, tarpaulins, and 

 matting ; for which a ready sale is 

 invariably found. The use of irons, 

 except in cases of refractory prisoners. 

 Juts been discontinued at this prison. 



At the Aylesbury county-gaol, the 



mill is the only source of labour in 



the prison ; tlie untried, who are not 



obliged 



