County Bridewell, Colchester, Essex

1. Site, Construction, &c.

This prison is a House of Correction for the county of Essex, and is appropriated almost exclusively to summary convictions. It however occasionally receives prisoners convicted at Assizes and Sessions, and those committed for further examination by the magistrates. It stands on rising ground, about half a mile from the town of Colchester, and there is no other building near it. It was completed and first occupied in February 1835, at the cost of about £7000. The prison is on the radiating plan, with the Keeper's house at the entrance, and the Turnkey's and Matron's apartments, over which is the chapel, in the centre. The inspection is, however, defective, for the whole of the yards cannot be seen from the windows of the central lodge, and there are no means of inspecting the day-rooms or cells, without going to them. The boundary wall is of the height of 18 feet, and between this and the inner wall of the same height, surrounding the wards, there is a space of land from 70 to 80 feet wide. There has not been any escape since the occupation of the prison. It is in a good state of repair. There are 10 wards, six of which were intended for male, and four for female prisoners. The accommodation thus provided for females is much greater than there has ever been occasion for, the greatest number of female prisoners at one time since the occupation of the prison having been only four (three of whom went out before night), and the total number of females confined up to the day of our visit having been only 25. We found the female wards unoccupied, there being no female prisoner in custody. Each of the wards has an airing yard, and six of them have day-rooms. The prison contains 44 separate sleeping apartments, of the following dimensions:—

The height of the cells is 10 feet, and the thickness of the partition walls about 14 inches. the number of cells has hitherto greatly exceeded the wants of the prison, the greatest number in custody at one time having been only 20. The cells are close, and badly ventilated. The windows are, like those at Springfield, not suited for the ventilation of small cells. The prison is built on a strong loam, and has good drainage to the river. It was clean and dry at the time of inspection, and the locality may be pronounced healthy from general considerations, as well as from the small amount of sickness that has occurred.

2. Discipline, &

The classification we found to be according to the Act; but in the month of December last there were four prisoners convicted of felony who worked on the same treadwheel with misdemeanants summarily convicted. The day-rooms are not used, with the exception of one in which a prisoner confined for smuggling was employed separately in cooking. The prisoners take their meals in their cells, and are thus separated at meals, and by night, but associate together during, labour on the treadwheel, at chapel, and whilst washing, or walking the yards. Prisoners who have been acquainted have asked to be allowed to sleep together, but it has never been permitted. The rules require silence, but it is not effectually enforced, there being only one Turnkey, who only comes occasionally into the two yards where the prisoners work at the wheels, and the Keeper is seldom in the yards but at locking or unlocking. Several prisoners confessed to us that they talked pretty freely on the wheel, whilst walking the yard, from cell to cell, during washing, or in going to chapel. Swearing and bad language is sometimes heard, and the prisoners are very apt to steal each other's bread if an opportunity offers. No prisoner was punished for mere talking in the course of the last year. The men on the wheel looked round, and lolled lazily upon it. There were no wardsmen or silence-men employed in the yards. Prisoners are occasionally sentenced to solitary confinement, and are then treated according to the Provisional Rules in that behalf. Only two prisoners were so sentenced in the course of last year. The Keeper, however, sometimes exercises a discretion in separating boys to prevent their corruption.

The hard labour consists of the treadwheels, and a crank pump for raising water. The treadwheel labour varies from six and a half to 10 hours per day, and from 7io00 to 12,000 feet of ascent, according to the season, so that a prisoner confined in the summer months does 35 per cent more work than he who is imprisoned in the winter. Prisoners are employed in cooking, whitewashing, and other menial services, as occasion requires. Treadwheel labour is stated to be disliked, but solitary confinement very much more so. There is no labour of a productive kind.

Visitors are received either at the gate, or in the Turnkey's office, in the presence of the Turnkey: but only by a magistrate's order, and according to the Provisional Rules. Upon looking through the visitors' list, we found that 57 visitors were admitted in the year 1836 — a very large number, considering that the total number confined in the year, to Michaelmas 1836, was only 127. One prisoner had received seven visitors, another four, and several more than one. Several instances have happened of persons having obtained visiting orders from magistrates under false pretences. A prisoner, N. F., lately received two visits at different times from two different persons, each calling herself his sister Elizabeth F. The Keeper was not aware of it until after she had gone away, when he found that she was an impostor, and came from Colchester, his real sister having previously come from West Mersea to see her brother. All letters are subject to the Keeper's inspection.

The money of the prisoners (being convicts) is taken from them, and accounted for on their discharge.

An instance occurred in which tobacco was brought in by a smuggler, and buried in the yard; but there is no reason to believe that it is frequently introduced. Newspapers are not used, nor any books without the chaplain's authority. There has been no case of gambling, and the prisoners being usually poor and of the agricultural class, it is not very likely to occur.

The female wards are quite separate from those of the males, and no instance of communication between them has hitherto occurred.

3. Religious and other Instruction.

The Rev. J. W. Morgan has been chaplain of this prison, and of the former house of correction in Colchester Castle, for 20 years. He reads daily prayers selected from the Liturgy and on Wednesdays and Fridays expounds the Scriptures. He performs divine service twice on Sundays, with one sermon. He resides at Colchester, and has other duty. The Communion is not administered. The Chaplain keeps a journal of his attendance, but does not make the entries very regularly. He does not remain long in the prison after chapel, but visits the prisoners in solitary cells, and any others whom he thinks desirable. The chapel is not well arranged, and the Keeper sits where he cannot see the prisoners. The Keeper, Matron, and Turnkey attend, and a list is kept of any prisoners who may be absent from sickness or other cause. The prisoners communicate in their way to and from chapel, and sometimes, though not frequently, during service.

The books used by the prisoners consist of Bibles, prayer-books, and tracts of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, selected by the Chaplain.

There is no regular instruction; there being few boys, and the terms of imprisonment being usually very short. In the year to Michaelmas 1836 there was only one prisoner confined for six months, and ten for three and under six months. No system of instruction, therefore, could be expected to produce in general any great moral effect.

4. Health.

The medical attendants of the prison are a physician at Colchester, who is assisted by his son, a surgeon, and another assistant. One of these gentlemen attends three or four times a-week, and sees all the prisoners. The prisoners are, however, not examined before being passed into the wards, the medical attendant not being sent for immediately on their admission. There has been only one infirmary patient since the opening of the prison, and at the time of our visit there was not any sick prisoner. In the year ending Michaelmas 1836, the proportion of cases of slight indisposition to the whole number confined was only 8.66 per cent., with no infirmary case or death in the year. There has not hitherto been any case of scurvy, or other disease attributable to excessive labour or insufficiency of diet, the short periods of imprisonment under summary conviction operating favourably in that respect. The diet is that prescribed by the Provisional Rules, which are publicly affixed, and scales and weights are kept in case of application. The cost of diet is high, being stated at £5 2s. 9¾d. per head per annum, or 1s. 11¾d. per week. The prisoners being all after conviction, with the occasional exception of those for examination, are not allowed to find themselves.

The cost of clothing and bedding is estimated at £1 6s. 4½d, per head per annum.

Stockings are not provided. The clothing is not changed by seasons. It is seldom destroyed by prisoners. The bedding is not aired in the yards in winter, but in summer once a-week.

The whole of the linen is washed in the prison, The cells are washed in the summer twice or three times a-week, but in winter not so often. The prison has been lime-washed from time to time since its erection, and appeared generally clean at the time of inspection.

5. Prison Punishments.

The following is the Keeper's return of punishments for offences within the prison in the last year, and up to the day of inspection;

Punishments within the prison since the 1st of January, 1836:—
Oct, 3,1836, W. G. — Stealing prisoners' bread. Locked up four hours.
Oct. 4,1636, J. T. — Refusing to walk round the yard. Locked up four hours.
Oct. 19, W. H. and T. W. — Refusing to walk round the yard. Locked up six hours.
Nov. 22, 1836, W. G. — Stealing bread. Locked up for the afternoon.
Jan. 11, 1887, W. P. — Refusing to walk round the yard. Looked up for the afternoon.
Jan. 19,1837, W. W. and J. P. — Fighting in the yard. Locked up four hours.
Feb. 1, 1837, J. M. — Writing his name in his cell. Locked up four hours.

6. Officers.

The officers consist of the Keeper, Matron, and Turnkey. The Keeper, Mr. William Parsle Smith, held that office in the former prison of Colchester Castle, and has been Gaoler in this prison for twenty-two years. He is 53 years of age. He does not visit the cells at night, and is not often in the yards, but is generally present at locking up and unlocking. He keeps a sort of journal, in which he enters the daily number of prisoners, but only one occurrence is noted in it in the last year, viz. "October 24. — Thomas Kemp, a vagrant, made an attempt to strangle himself." The Keeper's journal has not been exhibited at the Quarter Sessions, nor signed by the Chairman, as the law requires. The Keeper attends the Sessions at Chelmsford, whether he has any prisoners there or not.

The Matron is the wife of the Keeper, and is 49 years of age. Her duties are very light, as there is seldom more than one female prisoner, and often none at all.

The Turnkey usually sleeps in the prison, but is sometimes permitted to sleep at his own house with his family. There is no night watchman.