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324

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buildings adapted for the confinement of criminals, asspecimens of the great advance made within the lastfew years.

Before doing so, however, it may not be uninteresting togive Mr. Howard’s recommendations relative to the situationand arrangements of a prison, by way of showing the ideasentertained at that time on the subject.

“ A county gaol,” he says, “ and indeed every prison, shouldbe built on a spot that is airy, and, if possible, near a river,or brook. I have commonly found prisons situate near ariver, the cleanest and most healthy. They generally havenot (and, indeed, could not well have) subterraneous dun-geons, which have been so fatal to thousands: and, by theirnearness to running water, another evil, almost as noxious,is prevented, that is, the stench of sewers.

“ I said, a gaol should be near a stream ; but I must annexthis caution, that it be not so near as that either the houseor yard shall be within the reach of floods. This was soj little thought of at Appleby, in Westmoreland, when their

| new gaol was first building, that I saw the walls marked

i from nine inches to three feet high by floods.

| “ If it be not practicable to build near a stream, then an

eminence should be chosen: for as the wall round a prisonshould be so high as greatly to obstruct a free circulation ofj air, this inconvenience should be lessened by rising ground,

i and the prison should not be surrounded by other buildings,

j nor built in the middle of a town or city,

i “ That part of the building which is detached from the

I walls, and contains the men-felons’ ward, may be square, orrectangular, raised on arcades, that it may be more airy, andleave under it a dry walk in wet weather. These wards overarcades are also best for safety ; for I have found that escapeshave been most commonly effected by undermining cells anddungeons. If felons should find any other means to breakout of this raised ward, they will still be stopped by the wallof the court, which is the principal security ; and the wallsof the wards need not then be of that great thickness theyare generally built, whereby the access of light and air isimpeded.

“ I wish to have so many small rooms, or cabins, that eachcriminal may sleep alone. These rooms to be ten feet highto the crown of the arch, and have double doors, one of themiron-latticed, for the circulation of air. If it be difficult toj prevent their being together in the day-time, they should,

I by all means, be separated at night. Solitude and silenceI ] are favourable to reflection ; and may, possibly, lead them toI I repentance. Privacy and hours of thoughtfulness are neces-| sary for those who must soon leave the world ; (yet how

I contrary to this is our practice ! Keepers have assured me,

I that they have made £5 a day after the condemnation of

their prisoners.)—In the Old Newgate there were fifteencells for persons in this situation, which are still left stand-ing, and are annexed to the new building.

“ The separation I am pleading for, especially at night,would prevent escapes, or make them very difficult ; for that! is the time in which they are generally planned, and effected.

| This also would prevent their robbing one another in thei night. Another reason for separation is, that it would free/ gaolers from a difficulty of which I have heard them com-

I plain: they hardly know where to keep criminals admitted

! to be evidence for the king: these would be murdered by

I their accomplices, if put among them ; and in more than

j one prison, I have seen them, for that reason, put in theI women’s ward.

1 ' “ Where there are opposite windows, they should have

I I shutters ; but these should be open all day. In the men-felons’ ward, the windows should be six feet from the floor ;

ll 0 vfe«

there should be no glass ; nor should the prisoners be *to stop them with straw, &c. . , fro#

“ The women-felons’ ward should be quite distif g^pthat of the men ; and the young criminals from old t* 1 *dened offenders. Each of these three classes shou^have their day-room, or kitchen, with a fire-place ; ancourt and offices all separate. s tofl eft

“ Every court should be paved with flags, or n a ^ u iap>for the more convenient washing it ; and have a g°° ^ pip eSor water laid on—both, if possible ; and the pump an . gg tl' eshould be repaired as soon as they need it ; othei" g 9 vegaols will soon be offensive and unwholesome, aS c0 n'always found them to be in such cases. A small str * r00 m>

In al

afterwards to the frequent use of it. It

should

the

ge"’

the

she'

d,

the

d

every morning, and let off in the evening throughinto the drains. There should also be a copper m ]n ..

to heat a quantity of water sufficient to warm * 1 ge ^

bath, for those that are sickly. There should a ^ )gg aOj*oven : nothing so effectually destroys vermin in c . , v jtibedding, nor purifies them so thoroughly when tat pet' 1 , 'infection, as being a few hours in an oven modern J gt sty“ The infirmary, or sick wards, should be in th®

" • • • - " ■ rest ot 1

part of the court, quite detached from the

and raised on arcades. These rooms should never ^ e# ccrib beds and bedding. In the middle of the noo j nC b<^room there should be a grate of twelve or f° UI b» tc 'square, for a current of air, covered with a shutat night. ,, i. P in

it*

The sewers, or vaults, of all prisons,

should }

be

the

co‘

courts, and not in the passages, and (like those ce ;iin£leges) close boarded between the seat up to tn ^boards projecting ten inches before each seat. ^ un s , a

“ The infirmary and sheds will not render the ^ j ft s ^ _

provided the walls have parapets, or small ch&o gep ara , 9

“ Debtors and felons should have wards tota^ 0 f deh t0the peace, the cleanliness, the health, and mor.cannot be secured otherwise. ove r ar< g 0 us e

and placed on one side of the gaoler’s house. • J ,do''' 9 v

-be gaol, W. h ^ a c <j

This ' vo ^ 0 ulJ e " g £g,

on the prisoners, to keep them in order ; and vva 8 ' 11the gaolor to be attentive to cleanliness and r it

to prevent his own apartments from being o & c tiose n ^1-“ A chapel is necessary in a gaol. Tf Should 1* V ! 0«t ofwhat seems to me a proper situation. It s u jg be fedlery for debtors, or women ; for the lattei 8 ' ge sep a c0 n"sight of all the other prisoners, and the rest -^d a v js0books should be c ot hei

The ward for men-debtors shouldplaced on one side of the gaoler’sshould be in or near the middle of the gthe felons’ and the debtors’ courts.

below. Bibles and prayervenient distances on each side

those

who tear,

of

co' 1

g 0 i«g

tii’o

sys tem f*^onstr u (geof -it for 1 ,bud 1 p gg c t-

damage them, should be punished.”

The introduction of the separate „prisoners, led to great alterations in the "’ 0< g uu ,- g{l ^-prisons ; and the penitentiary at Millban i ,j ne int° th®purpose of carrying this plan of prison-disc if'

It was completed in the year 1821, and 18 ^ outer " tI .oU c ®reception of twelve hundred convicts. ; nC ip a l e . g g, a";,closed not less than eighteen acres. 1J 1 ® P dotbi® al g»ryon Millbank is a stone-fronted lodge, ,v,t 1 .ite „

iff 0 '

stantly running in the court is very desirable- - c0fn nor shed, near the pump, or pipe, there should be a pital 9 /dious bath, with steps (as there is in some country 11 t geiUto wash prisoners that come in dirty, and to m glle®

er a I

igc, " « Teiu'^gne' i j

false portcullis over the gates. At the t0 P’ g0 (jt«r'y c vV |ik'j'is written in large characters. The cells . P .aO a

ment are arranged within the quadrangu _stands a considerable distance from the o