Brixton Remand Prison / HMP Brixton, London

Lurking and lowering far away back from road up Brixton Hill, and approached only by ill-kept and suspicious-looking lane, lies, and has lain for a century or more, the Brixton Prison. Latterly a military gaol, and before that an ordinary convict prison, it has been for four years no prison at all. But for the last couple of years the place has been in the throes of partial demolition, and rebuilding. The whole area appropriated for the new house of detention for remanded male prisoners, which is to be the future purpose of the old place, is seven acres and a quarter. Such was the strength and such the thickness of the prison walls that the pulling of them down was a real tough job. Rebuilding on an extensive scale, and with many modern improvements, is proceeding amain.

Man or boy remanded from any London police court alights from "Black Maria," as the prison van is called, on its passing through the great doorway, and is then conducted along a passage to small wicket, where his name entered. He next sees what a prison corridor is like — long, narrow, lofty, clean, and silent, with hard flat-fitting doors on the left-hand aide. Herein are temporary waiting cells furnished with a bare bench only. In due course, the detained will take a warm bath, liable at any moment to be overlooked by attendant warders, who will ever shadow him. Should he be decently clad, he can retain his own clothes. Should he be a verminous person, his clothes will be taken away and fumigated, while he is put into the rough clothing which the State provides. His regular cell is in another corridor, long and vast and lofty, with an iron stairway in the middle leading up to two storeys of cells above, reached by iron balconies. Should he, in a fit of desperation, succeed in throwing himself over the rails of the balcony, as some prisoners have done, he would fall on a wire net, and would break no bones. Each cell is roughly about 14ft. by 9ft., and about 10ft. high, and when the bed and chair are in must still leave a fair amount of cubic space. The window at end of the cell opposite the door is of strong lattice work, and thick glass panes in three divisions. Bars are outside, but part of the central division can be opened by the prisoner at will for the purpose of ventilation. An eyehole in the doorway enables the warder to see him without his knowledge. Gas light is reflected into the cell until eight o'clock at night, when the inmate must go to bed. He rises at six o'clock, and is required to clean out his cell. That is all the compulsory work has to do; but not infrequently takes to employment voluntarily as a mode of killing time. He is entitled to twelve ounces of bread per diem; porridge, gruel, or cocoa to breakfast at eight o'clock; pea soup, with the shin of beef in it, for dinner, at twelve, and another regulation meal at five. If he has good friends, they may send in in his meals from an outside restaurant. with liquor not exceeding one pint l per day. Boys and men are kept apart and take exercise at different times in an open space about 100 yards long by 25 wide, enclosed by walls 25 feet high.

Short service of a quarter of an hour or 20 minutes is conducted daily by the Church England chaplain in a great bare old chapel, where 300 men can be seated. There are two full services on Sundays. A long and lofty gallery has been newly constructed for the service of Roman Catholics. Nonconformists can have their own ministers to attend them.

Another compartment of the gaol is that for the purpose of enabling prisoners to converse with their friends. This place rather suggests a stable with narrow rails leading up to a railed rack, through which the prisoner on the one wide can talk to his friend on the other, in the presence of warders. Another division is the hospital, on much the same lines as a free hospital, except that the less serious cases are treated in cells. One long corridor of old cells still remains. These are comparatively small and stuffy, with one small window to each, too high up to be reached by the inmate. Though the main purpose of the practically new prison at Brixton will be for remanded cases, there is one class of prisoners who will return there after trial, and once only. There are two cells for culprits condemned to death. And there is a plain shed with gallows and drop hole for executions. For this fell purpose, Brixton gaol will, it is said, succeed Newgate. In the old military prison 450 men could be received; in the new civil building which supersedes it there will be safe accommodation for a greater number.