424 



PRISONS 



prison at York, built under the inspiration of the 

 Rev. Sydney Smith, |>art of which still exists, 

 security is provided for by making the \\.ill- of 

 the cells of a rough stone, some 6 feet square and 

 2 or 3 feet thick, and grated windows of massive 

 iron exclude the light. By Midi means as this it 

 was intended to ensure tfie safe custody of the 

 prisoners without constant personal watchfulness 

 and supervision by the prison staff. All thi> i- 

 changed in the prisons of moru recent 'lair, but the 

 security U even greater than before, because in a 

 iTi-onof modern construction the su|>ervision can 

 be more thorough. In a prison of modern con- 

 K| ruction the site is surrounded by a wall about 18 

 feet high, outside of which, unless a road or street 

 runs along the boundary, a margin of ulxiut 20 

 feet is left unbuilt on as a precaution against the 

 facilities which buildings against a wall may give 

 for scaling or breaking through it. 



The prison is entered through two pairs of double 

 gates, having a space between them sufficient for a 

 wagon to stand in, so that the solid outer gate may 

 be shut before the grated inner gate formed of iron 

 bars is opened. At the side of the gate is the 

 porter's lodge, and perhaps certain waiting accom- 

 modation and rooms in which the prisoners may . 

 under supervision, receive visits from their friends. 

 These gates give admission to the outer court of 

 the prison. Opposite the gate is probably the 

 entrance of the main building; the offices of the 

 governor, chaplain, &c. are placed here. After 

 passing these the buildings occupied by prisoners 

 are arrived at. 



Every prisoner occupies a cell measuring 13 feet 

 by 7 feet, and containing 800 cubic feet of air, with 

 a grated window, part of which is made to open ; 

 in the wall are inlets from a channel for fresh air, 

 warmed when necessary by hot water pipes, and 

 outlets for foul air drawn out through flues which 

 communicate with a furnace and tall chimney in 

 the roof. On shelves in the wall are the books and 

 the small utensils provided for the prisoner's use. 

 The furniture consists of a stool to sit on, a fixed 

 table, a wooden bed board and a coir pillow, sheets, 

 blankets, and rugs, and a mattress for the prisoners 

 who have passed the first stage. In some cells a 

 crank, or a loom, or such other fixed means of 

 employment, U provided, and a bell-pull, by means 

 of which a warder's attention can be called when 

 necessary, and an eye-hole in the door through 

 which the warder can inspect the prisoner. 



Rows of cells such as this are arranged alongside 

 each other, and on opposite sides of a corridor 

 about 16 feet wide, which is open to the roof : and 

 there may be above the ground-floor two or three 

 tiers of cells, access to which is given by iron stairs 

 and a gallery off which the cells open. There are 

 possibly some cells on a lower level, where usually 

 the heating apparatus and somrlimrs thr rook 

 house, bakehouse, workshops, and stores are situ- 

 ated ; but in the most recent constructions it is 

 thought better to place these latter in separate 

 buildings outside the block of cells. A hospital 

 for sick patients is provided, and a separate block 

 of cells in which prisoners are placed on first recep- 

 tion, and where they are cleansed and examined l>y 

 the doctor, and their private property and clothes 

 taken from them, the latter lieing replaced by a 

 prison suit if the prisoner is convicted, or if lief ore 

 conviction he prefers not to wear his own clothes. 

 There is a tread-wheel house in many prisons, and 

 often a mill, which is worked by the tread-wheel, 

 and which supplies Hour or water for the prisoners' 

 use. The department for females is put distant 

 from that for males, and no male officer is allowed 

 into the female division unless he is accompanied 

 by a female warder or matron. Storerooms are 

 provided where it may !> most convenient, for the 



provisions, clothing, materials for manufacture, &c. 

 The chapel U a prominent feature in tlie prison, for 

 prayers are read before all the prisoners who can 

 attend every morning, and on Sunday there are 

 morning ami evening services. In prisons built 

 on thin model towards the middle of the century 

 the chapel was divided into little boxes, so as to 

 isolate prisoners completely fioin each other. This 

 construction has for some time Itoen abandoned : 

 it failed in its object, and in fact helped to pre\ rut 

 detection of an offender, while it was thought to 

 diminish the influence of the minister and the effect 

 of the service. 



In connection with the offices is a library of 

 selected books for issue to the prisoners, which U 

 under the control of the chaplain. In some part of 

 the cell block is a bath-house, where prisoners are 

 required to wash themselves periodically ; and in 

 connection with the female side of the prison is a 

 laundry for the washing of the prisoners clothing, 

 sheets, &c., and in which also sometimes washing 

 is done for people outside on payment. There are 

 also workshops in which carpenters, smiths, &c. can 

 carry on their trades for the benefit of the prison. 

 Large airy yards surround the blocks in which 

 the prisoners live. In these they take their daily 

 exercise under supervision of warders, pacing round 

 and round a ring, separated by such an interval 

 from each other as may prevent oral communica- 

 tion. Fart of the space inside the walls is often 

 cultivated for vegetables for consumption by the 

 prisoners. 



Since 1869 a new feature has been developed in 

 controlling the criminal class. By an act passed 

 in that year and revised in 1871, the latter being 

 called the Prevention of Crimes Act, any per-un 

 convicted on indictment a second time may be 

 subjected to ' supervision ' by the police for seven 

 years after the expiration of his sentence. During 

 this period he is required to report himself to the 

 police once a month, and to keep them informed 

 of his residence ; he is also required to prove his 

 innocence if certain suspicious circumstances are 

 brought against him. It he fails to comply with 

 the obligation to report himself he may be im- 

 prisoned for a year with hard labour. The convict 

 released conditionally before the termination of his 

 sentence is subject to similar obligations, and if 

 there are reasonable grounds for believing that he 

 is leading a criminal life, or showing himself un 

 worthy of the freedom conditionally granted him, 

 or if he should be actually convicted of crime, he 

 may be returned to prison to undergo the whole 

 of that part of his sentence which was remit led. 



To aid in the work of detecting criminals an 

 Habitual Criminal Register has been established, 

 in which the names, descriptions, photographs, and 

 criminal career of all persons who are proved to 

 have l>een twice convicted on indictment are 

 recorded. This register is printed and circulated 

 to all police forces and prisons, and thus these 

 authorities have at their command means of estab- 

 lishing the identification of any prisoner who come* 

 into their custody, who is suspected to Ire an 

 habitual criminal,' and can ascertain what prison 

 should be applied to for further evidence on the 

 subject. In order to supply means of ascertaining 

 whether any IMTSOII in custody is on the n-gisler 

 of habitual criminals, in cases when- no -prrial 

 identity is suggested, a Distinction Marks licgistcr 

 has been established, in which all the peculiar 

 marks, or other remarkable personal |x*culiantie 

 of those who have been registered, are classified 

 anil recorded. 



It will readily be understood that it would not 

 accord with the modern theory of punishment com- 

 bined with reformation to turn any prisoner adrift 

 at the prison gate on completing Ins sentence, to> 



