County Gaol and Bridewell, Knutsford, Cheshire

This establishment was inspected on the first of November [1838]. Every part of the interior was clean, the bedding neatly folded and uniformly arranged, and after a minute examination I was not able to detect a secreted article, or even one carelessly left out of its place through the whole of the sleeping cells. The personal cleanliness of the prisoners is also well attended to.

Knutsford House of Correction, Morning State of Prison, 1st November, 1838.

The greatest number of prisoners at one time during the year has been 309, sleeping in 144 cells. The prescribed routine of the discipline is as follows:—

In summer a bell rings a quarter before six, that the prisoners may have time to fold their bedding, and the officers to assemble by six, when it again rings and the prisoners unlocked (one passage, containing 11 cells, at a time). As the officer unlocks the door the prisoners walk out and stand opposite the cell until their bedclothes are examined, and the order given to go below by the officer who unlocks. He then-stands at the top of the stairs, where he can observe them to the bottom or door of the day-room ; another officer is there stationed to overlook them while they wash, for which purpose buckets are placed at intervals ; two men wash in each, and go to their seats as they have done. By this time another passage is unlocked and proceed in- like manner. All the felons go to one day-house, and the misdemeanors to another.

Half past six, bell rings for work; when they leave the day-room preceded by an officer, who stands in the yard to observe them as they pass, another remaining in the room until all have left it.

Half past eight, breakfast bell rings ; when prisoners leave their work in the same regular order, and are marched to the mess-room, where the roll is called by an officer. Prisoners all face the officer, and sit face to back; after -breakfast prayers are read, and they return to work at nine.

Twelve o'clock, dinner bell rings ; when prisoners are conducted in the same order to dinner, where they remain until 9.0 minutes to one, when they go to chapel, and from thence to work, which they leave at six, go to supper, and at half past six bell rings for locking up, proceeding to their cells in the manner they left them.

Prisoners' names are called over before each meal, and grace said both before and after. On no account are prisoners left in these mess-rooms without an officer. On Sundays prisoners remain in the day-rooms, or walk round the yard in single file during the intervals between chapel and meals, overlooked by officers, and are locked up as soon as they have had supper. A wardsman is employed in each wing to clean, and three of them walk the passages after locking up in list shoes, in order to report any prisoner who calls from his cell; when the watchman comes on duty he locks them up and unlocks them to perform the same duty an hour before the first bell rings. They cannot. see or converse with each other, neither do they know who is locked in any cell, as no prisoner sleeps two nights in the same wing. Every morning each prisoner's bed clothes are examined, and once a-week his clothing, when if any hole or tear is found not occasioned by regular wear, it is reported, and the prisoner punished.

All breaches of discipline are entered in a book kept in the office, and the governor daily inquiries into the reports, and punishes either by stoppage of provisions or confinement in a solitary cell.

As the winter season approaches the hours of labour decrease, so that prisoners are locked and unlocked by daylight.

The employments in the prison are wool-picking, weaving, and shoemaking,' for the men; winding-, washing, making, mending, and shoe binding, for the women. The males committed for trial pick wool together in a room, where order, but not strict silence, is enforced; convicted felons and misdemeanants sentenced to hard labour, with the exception of weavers and. shoemakers, pick wool and tread the wheel alternately. The strictest silence is maintained in these classes. There are neither monitors nor wardsmen, as in no situation whatever are prisoners left without an officer. No report of misconduct is ever received from a prisoner; the usual punishment, and which in ordinary cases is found sufficient, is the stopping of half the allowance of bread at supper. The number of punishments front October Sessions, 1837, to the same period, 1S38, were 1634, and the average number of prisoners during the same period was 232. The number of prisoners on the day of inspection 265, punishments 8. Solitary confinement is enforced by placing the prisoners in a detached building of two stories specially appropriated to this purpose. Four prisoners at the period of my visit were undergoing their respective sentences; they had been therefor five days, and had neither been visited by the chaplain nor the surgeon. The cells in this building are so limited in size and deficient in light as to be only fit for the close confinement of refractory prisoners for a short period. Conversation can be carried on from cell to cell with facility. When sentenced only for a week they are not allowed to take exercise, but if for a longer period they walk for an hour in the yard. The cleaner or wardsman is locked up in the building with them. They make use if pans in the cells, which are emptied when requiring it. The cells are warmed by steam, and are described as being very close when opened bale morning. The keeper states, "I have noticed no difference in prisoners after solitary confinement; it is ordinarily for a week at a time; they do not care for it when receiving the regular diet. I think three days' imprisonment in a dark cell upon bread and water has a great deal more effect. Restrictions of food are always felt by the criminal population."

At the period of my visit the tread-wheel was not at work, and the male prisoners were crowded together in the wool-picking room to a: degree which must have rendered useless all attempts to prevent communication, and which might have been easily avoided by keeping the wheels constantly manned. I am quite aware that the latter is a profitless employment, and the former a profitable one, but tins otherwise desirable object loses its value if only to be attained by a sacrifice of the discipline. In the wool-picking room there were about 110 prisoners, and so closely were they packed as even to embarrass each other in this simple employment. The overlooker states, "It is impossible to prevent communication in the present crowded state of the room."