and borough gaols. Irons are seldom used, and then only in cases of necessity, which in a great measure is owing to the insecurity of the gaol. A pretty accurate description, even at the present day, of this wretched prison, may be found in Gurney's Notes on Prisons, page 19, (published in 1819); in which it is stated, that for the insecurity of the prison, in aggravated cases, the prisoners are chained to the wall, besides being locked up in the cell.

NEWCASTLE.
Common Gaol.

May, 1823.

A NEW gaol is immediately to be built upon the radiating plan, which will combine classification, security, and inspection. In the present gaol no classification can be adhered to, for want of room. The males are merely kept distinct from the females, and the debtors from the felons. There are at this time in confinement three male and two female felons, and fifteen debtors. A clergyman attends twice a week, reads the church service, and preaches a sermon. Bibles, testaments, prayer-books, and religious tracts, are furnished for the prisoners. Felons are allowed 5d. per day in money, to provide themselves with food, which is laid out in such provisions as they think proper: poor debtors are allowed 4d. per day. There are no printed rules: several Acts of Parliament are complied with, as far as the confined state of the prison will allow. Irons are used in cases of very bad character and of heavy crimes, also persons under sentence of death and orders of transportation. No solitary confinement, for want of room, can be enforced: the governor, however, approves of solitary confinement, and more particularly so far as regards juvenile offenders. The females are employed in knitting and sewing.

During the last three years the number of commitments are as follows:

Stealing in dwelling-houses above 40s....
Receiving stolen goods..

Larcenies, particularly picking pockets, and shop

8

1

NEWCASTLE.

House of Correction.

May, 1823. A NEW house of correction is immediately to be built, with proper classification and work-rooms, &c. A small tread-mill has been lately erected in the yard of this prison. No particular classification, for want of room, is followed; the boys are kept distinct from the men, and the males from the females. There are at present in custody-men, 33; boys, 2; females, 5; total 40. No clergyman attends this prison. Bibles, testaments, prayerbooks, and religious tracts are furnished for the prisoners. The male prisoners are employed at the tread-mill; the females in picking oakum, and beating sand for the use of the prison, also mending their own clothes, &c. Three-pence a-day is paid to each prisoner for his daily food, which he lays out to the best advantage. Irons are used on very bad characters only. Female prisoners are not under the superintendence of a matron or a female officer. They are employed in knitting, sewing, beating sand, and picking oakum. The keeper much approves of the tread-mill, which he considers as a healthy labour: he has not had a single recommittal since its establishment in this prison. There have been about 1200 committals in the last three years, principally petty larcenies, assaults, and other misdemeanors, disorderly apprentices and vagrants. Crime is found to be very much on the decrease; it is supposed to be the result of a well-regulated police in this town, and the use of the tread-mill.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.

NOTTINGHAM.

County Gaol.

Oct. 1823.

THIS gaol has been very recently presented to the quartersessions as insufficient, inconvenient, and inadequate to give effect to the rules and regulations prescribed by the new Prison Act." The presentment is to be taken into consideration at the ensuing sessions.

SOUTHWELL.

County House of Correction.

Oct. 1823.

THE classification at present maintained in this prison is as

follows:

1. Prisoners convicted of felony.

2. Prisoners convicted of misdemeanors.

3. Prisoners committed on charge of felony.

4. Prisoners committed on charge of misdemeanors, or for want of sureties.

5. Vagrants.

The tread-mill has been steadily at work for many months, and with very good effects, the health of the prisoners having been benefitted, without any exception. There has been only one instance of a prisoner (a vagrant) returning a second time to the tread-wheel. It is, however, much to be regretted, that the power is not yet applied to any useful purpose; it is expended in turning a regulating fly-wheel.

No friend of a convicted prisoner is permitted to visit him without an order in writing from a visiting justice, or from the convicting justice.

NOTTINGHAM.

Town Gaol.

Oct. 1823.

THIS prison is a very confined one, and unfortunately there is no room for its enlargement. The magistrates are, however, in possession of a piece of ground adjoining the house of correction, sufficiently extensive to build a good prison upon, when they may consider it expedient. As this place is included in the schedule of the new Prison Act, the subject of improving this defective prison, which contains only three classes, will undoubtedly come under the early consideration of the magistrates.

NOTTINGHAM.
Town Bridewell.

Oct. 1823.

THERE is no tread-mill at present erected in this bridewell, to which so large a number of prisoners is committed from this town, which is a county of itself, and having right to try all

kinds of offences. It contains four classes, each having separate day and work rooms, also airing-yards. The employment of male prisoners sentenced to hard labour, in breaking flax, has been suspended for several months, in consequence of which the prisoners of this description are unemployed, unless occasionally working at their own trades. No additional building has been erected, excepting a temporary one for a chapel : five sleepingrooms, formerly occupied by male prisoners, over the women's ward, are now assigned for the use of the women.

The number of committals from the Michaelmas sessions 1822, to the same sessions 1823, is 1036, and the greatest number at one time in the prison, during that period, was 84.

OXFORDSHIRE.

OXFORD.

County Gaol.

Aug. 1823. THIS prison stands on the site of the old castle; the governor's house occupies a central position, from which two or three of the prisoners' yards are seen, but the means of general inspection are very deficient. About a year and a half ago four new yards were added, which increase the number to ten, eight for the males and two for the females; they are dry and well gravelled. There is no matron, but the governor's sister superintends the women's ward: this class of prisoners is employed in washing and mending for the gaol.

There is as yet no tread-mill in this county prison; the two mills at present in use, are the chief sources of employment for the male prisoners: one of them is upon the capstern plan, having eight shafts, admitting four men to each. This mill grinds corn, &c. and pumps water. The other is a hand-mill for twelve men, which also grinds corn: the charge is 1s. 4d. per sack. The hand-mill is described to be harder work than the capstern; but it is rendered lighter by the men being allowed to work and rest alternate hours, whereas the capstern men have no cessation, except for meals. Two prisoners were at this time employed in painting, and others at their several trades, in the service of the prison. An excavation, which is called the chapel of St. George, is preserved as a curiosity: some columns of the ancient castle still remain in it: this place is used at the present

moment as the work-shop of a prisoner, who does all the carpenter's work in the prison. The boys have a separate workroom, where they are employed in beating flax.

No irons are used, except in the removal of prisoners; solitary confinement is but rarely resorted to, but flogging is not un

common.

There is service in the chapel twice on Sunday, and prayers are read on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

The dietary is one pound and a half of good wheaten bread, and one ounce and a half of cheese per day, with two quarts of oatmeal, to serve the week out; on Sundays half a pound of meat and a quart of broth are allowed in addition, besides vegetables from the prison garden, which is an extensive piece of ground within the castle walls.

OXFORD.

City Gaol and Bridewell.

Aug. 1823. THE city gaol, on Gloucester-green, was built about thirtyfive years ago; and if ventilation were all a prison wanted, it would be one of the best in the country, a thorough air passing through the building in every direction; indeed, it is evident that this object has been carried too far; the prisoners in winter must be very much exposed to the cold. All the doors are made of open iron-work; every passage has ventilators to the floors, above and below, and each cell has an aperture for the same purpose above the door into the passage. This plan has the inconvenience of affording great facility of communication to the prisoners, although the governor (who has held the office twenty-eight years) says that from the situation of his bedroom, no prisoner can speak from one cell to another without his hearing them.

The governor's room and the chapel are in the centre of the building. There are four yards, one for the untried, one for debtors, one for women, and one for men after trial.

The yards are only separated by low, open, wooden paling, which affords the prisoners the opportunity of both seeing and conversing from one class to another. As these partitions are falling to decay, it is to be hoped that they may soon be replaced by substantial walls. There are thirty-two solitary sleeping-cells, two wards for infectious cases, and two sick wards; there are also two dark refractory cells, provided with a contrivance for confining the prisoners upright to the wall, by the throat and legs;