ON PRISON DIET AND DISCIPLINE. 47 



referred to, that it is impossible, by any method, to give an analysis of the 

 amount of nutriment which they supply. An abstract of the most notice- 

 able parts of the return is given in the Appendix (I.) ; and it is proposed 

 to state in this place only a few general facts. 



It is customary to provide several scales of dietary, increasing in the nutri- 

 ment supplied according to the duration of the imprisonment; so that with 

 the shortest sentences, as three, seven, or fourteen days, the only food given 

 is bread and gruel*; whilst for prisoners condemned to long terms of impri- 

 sonment the diet is generally an abundant one of meat, vegetables, bread, and 

 gruel. The terms of sentence to which these several classes apply vary in 

 the different gaols ; but usually a sentence of four months carries with it the 

 highest scale of dietary. In nearly all gaols the prisoner is on entrance 

 placed upon his proper scale of dietary ; but in the Kendal, Carlisle, and 

 other prisons he begins with the lowest scale, and gradually ascends as his 

 duration of imprisonment continues. 



It is also usual to vary the dietary from day to day; so that there is a con- 

 siderable daily variation, not only in the kind and quantity of food, but in 

 the amount of nutriment supplied. There is commonly an increased dietary 

 given to those who are condemned to hard labour ; but the modes in which 

 sentences of hard labour are carried out differ so much, that this is practically 

 valueless. There are gaols in which the treadwheel is worked for short 

 periods with a dietary of bread and gruel only*. But in none is there any 

 attempt to estimate in a scientific manner the amount of increase of nutri- 

 ment which is proportioned to the increased labour. Usually there are three 

 meals a day allowed (at St. Albans there were only two) ; and of these the 

 first and last consist commonly of bread and gruel. The amount of flesh 

 supplied in the highest scale of dietary varies greatly, as, for example, from 

 6 ozs. of cooked meat without bone in the Middlesex and Brecon Prisons, 

 and 7J ozs. of uncooked meat with bone at Wakefield, to (until very recently) 

 an entire absence of that food in the Cardiff Gaol. Very small quantities of 

 milk, cocoa, oatmeal, cheese, and tea are given in a few gaols ; but com- 

 monly the dietary consists of meat, soup, potatoes, bread, and gruel in various 

 proportions, and with various systems of alternation. 



The surgeon has power to add to the dietary if he should see fit ; and such 

 additions are commonly bread or milk. Bread and water are rarely given 

 as an ordinary dietary*, except for "prison offences;" and for these the pri- 

 soners may be condemned to the dark cell and bread-and-water dietary for 

 a period not exceeding three days at one time. If the prisoners have been 

 condemned to hard labour, this most severe punishment may be extended to 

 one month ; but after three days he is fed on bread and gruel. Flogging is 

 resorted to in various prisons as a part of the sentence upon prison offences, 

 if the prisoner have been convicted of felony ; and a return in reference to it 

 has recently been issued. The gaols in which the largest number of prisoners 

 were flogged for prison offences were those which had the most non-remu- 

 nerative punishments; and in this respect the gaols at Manchester and Liver- 

 pool offer a striking contrast. In military prisons it is understood that the 

 punishments are still more severe, since they are inflicted under the Mutiny 

 Act ; and it is very desirable that authorized returns should be obtained 

 from them. 



The foregoing general observations may suffice to show that he who at- 

 tempts to ascertain the effect of the present system of prison punishments 

 and dietary undertakes an inquiry of the widest kind, and, with the diversity 



* In the Gloucester Gaol bread and water are still given as a dietary. 



