County Bridewell, Leicester, Leicestershire

Three rooms below for men: five above for women; one of these not used, because not secure. No chimneys. Court not safe for prisoners to be allowed the use of it. Allowance now, two pennyworth of bread a day, after a month's confinement. Clauses against spirituous liquors not hung up. There was painted on a board, "By order of the Court at Easter Sessions 1778, that there shall be no ale or beer brought into this Prison on a Sunday, nor after Seven o'clock in the Evening on a week-day."

In a former edition I suggested, that if a wall were built with brick, instead of the day-wall, there would be no need of a chain and log, to secure the prisoners in the court. The apartments also would be more airy, and men and women might be separated, if the narrow court were enlarged from the orchard, which was let by the keeper for £6 per annum.

At my last visit, I found the court enlarged, and a wall built; but there is not a proper separation of men and women. The prisoners now are without the chain. This prison is white-washed once a year; and kept remarkably neat and clean. The prisoners do not lie on the floors, but very properly their mats are on cribs or bedsteads. Keeper a wool-comber, his salary £21: he pays window-tax 14s.

Committed from Easter Sessions 1779 to 1780, prisoners forty-four — from 1780 to 1781, fifty-nine — and from 1781 to 1782, forty-eight.

Keeper, Daniel Lambert; now William Phillips.

Salary, 52l. 10s. He is also allowed mops, brooms, pails, soap, and every requisite for Prison cleanliness.

Chaplain, none: But at my visit in 1807, the Keeper told me his Prisoners regularly attended Prayers three times a week; and also Prayers and Sermon on Sundays, in the Chapel of the County Gaol.

Surgeon, Mr. Maule; now Mr. Ludlam. Makes a Bill.

Number of Prisoners,

Allowance, one pound six ounces of bread per day, sent in loaves of 2lbs. 12oz. every other day from the Baker's; and one pint of small beer daily.

This New Bridewell, first inhabited in 1804, is situate in Free-School Lane, and adjoins to the County Gaol; in the wall of which there is a door of communication for the Prisoners, who go thither, as above noticed, to Chapel; where the sexes are properly placed in separate divisions, out of sight of each other.

Here are two court-yards, for the Men and Women, with dust-pens to receive ashes, which in the County Gaol are much wanted. To each court-yard there is a day-room.

A Reception-room is provided, for Prisoners to be examined by the Surgeon, previous to their admission into the interior of the Prison. In the centre of the Men's court is a small detached building, which contains a bath. Their sleeping cells are nine, all on the ground-floor; and each 8 feet by 5, with arched roofs and boarded floors. They are all supplied with two straw matresses; lighted by an iron rating above each door, having an inside shutter; and all opening into the court yard, in which there are two convenient sewers.

The Women's court is of the same size as the former, and has four sleeping-cells attached to it on the ground floor, fitted up in the same manner as those for the Men. Three other such cells are also building (1809) on the Women's side, and over them a large work-room. The sewers are all judiciously placed, and not offensive.

Above stairs are two rooms, set apart as Infirmaries, wbich have each a large iron-grated and glazed window, with a fire-place. Also two large work-rooms, with similar windows, spinning-wheels, stocking-frames, &c.

Those Prisoners who work for themselves, and are not committed for hard labour, pay to the Keeper 2s. 6d. in the pound out of their earnings; and such have no County allowance of food. Those committed for hard labour, and who can earn more than ten shillings per week, have the overplus for themselves.

Prisoners discharged from hence are sent away penniless. At least, therefore, it is hoped, that they are dismissed in a morning.

Here are no books provided, for the visiting Magistrates to enter their remarks; a deficiency, which it would be highly useful to supply.

Neither the Act for Preserving the Health of Prisoners, nor the Clauses against Spirituous Liquors, are hung up. The Keeper shewed me a bottle of Gin, which he had taken from a person, who was bringing it into the Prison.

Construction.—As at the County Gaol, great inconvenience is felt here from the facility with which articles are thrown over the walls to the prisoners within, and the same difficulty is experienced in extricating such things from their grasp. This prison is not very secure; it has no outer wall, and cheveux-de-frise would probably be a useful addition. In the last 12 years there have been three escapes, yet all but one were retaken. The ventilation is good, except in three of the dark cells. These dark cells are rendered such by putting up a shutter. In every Ward there is an Infirmary with a fire-place. There are no other fire-places except in the Day Rooms. The accommodations are too small for the usual proportion of inmates, and to this we shall return under the head of Management.

The accommodation comprises: 41 Sleeping Cells (including the Infirmary Cells), 5 Dark Refractory Cells, 13 Day Rooms, 3 Work Rooms, 5 Tread-wheels, 1 Receiving Room, 3 Divisions in the Chapel, 7 Infirmaries, 1 Bathing Tub, and 7 Airing Yards.

The dimensions of the single Sleeping Cells are 8 feet 3 inches by 6 feet, and from 8 feet 5 inches to 8 feet 9 inches high. There are no Cells where work is performed. The Infirmary Cells are 12 feet by 8 feet 3 inches, and 8 feet 5 inches high. The Dark Cells appropriated to the refractory are five in number, two of which are of the size of the single Sleeping Cells; two 8 feet by 4 feet 3½ inches, and 8 feet 5 inches high, and one 8 feet by 2 feet 2 inches, and 8 feet 4½ inches high.

There is no apparatus as yet in existence here for warming the cells.

Management.—The want of room necessitates the placing three men in one bed very commonly, and sometimes two. On unlocking one cell at night I found two beds in it; in one bed a man and a lad were to sleep; in the other bed only one man was to sleep. As the number of inmates diminishes occasionally, the Prisoners are put into separate beds, as far as the means permit; such is the statement of the Keeper.

The different classes occupy the seven wards during the day-time, and take their meals there. Communication between the Prisoners is prevented to a certain extent; moderate silence is preserved, but is not as yet positively enforced; it is most absolute at present at the Tread-wheel. The whole building is maintained in Cleanliness and neatness.

There is no bedding in the Dark Cells, because the prisoners confined in them are said to tear it.

Labour.—The Untried are not employed, except in cleaning the Wards. The Tread-wheel and Breaking Beans furnish the harder labour for the Convicted. Repairing the prison dress and shoes, cleaning the wards, chapel, reception room, and airing yards are the lighter occupations.

The profits go to the fund applicable to the maintenance of the Prison. The keeper calculates in the following manner, that the prisoners perform 10,500 feet in ascent per day. Multiply the number of steps the wheel is revolving per minute, by the number of inches from the bottom of one step to the top of the other, then multiply the product by the number of minutes in an hour, or as many hours as the prisoners are employed; and again multiply this last product by the number of prisoners actually on the wheel at one time, and then divide this result by the whole number of prisoners employed both on and off the wheel, and the quotient will be the number of inches each man labours per day or hour.

The following are the hours of labour: betwixt Lady-day and Michaelmas-day, from a quarter-past six to eight, from nine to twelve in the morning; and from two o'clock to a quarter past six in afternoon; during the remainder of the year from a quarter of an hour after sun-rise to 20 minutes before sun-set, (deducting one hour for breakfast, and two hours for dinner and school).

Two Turnkeys are always present during labour.

Religious and other Instruction.—When in Chapel or School the whole of the Prisoners attend (the sick excepted), under the Chaplain, Governor, Schoolmaster and Assistants; the Chaplain performs full Service every Sunday morning or afternoon alternately, Christmas-day and Good Friday; prayers twice in the week; and he visits occasionally, during school-time, the sick, and those in solitary confinement.

The Chaplain has 2l. 10s. allowed to him for the annual purchase of religious works for the prisoners. He pursues the same plan here which he has been stated to follow at the County Gaol, to which he is also attached.

A regular schoolmaster attends to teach the prisoners two hours on the week days, and four hours on Sundays. He acts under the superintendence of the Chaplain. There is a slate kept in every ward for the use of the prisoners.

Care of the Sick, Disease and Mortality.—The Surgeon attends here twice a week, and as often at other times as happens to be requisite. No particular diseases appear to prevail here; a few cases of fever and erysipelas occasionally present themselves, as well as catarrhs in damp weather. The list of sickness is small; forty-nine cases only are reported to have occurred during the last year, or a proportion of ¹⁰/₄₉ of the whole number of prisoners committed. The average number of days during which patient has remained on the sick list has been 11¹⁸/₄₉ days. Only one death took place during the year from Michaelmas 1833 to Michaelmas 1834, among 676 admitted. The greatest number of prisoners sick at one time was nine. There is no insane prisoner in confinement.

Whenever a private whipping is ordered, 5s. are divided between the Governor and the Turnkeys, but the Governor has to provide the instrument. In the year 1834, 3l. 15s. were thus divided.