Giltspur Street Compter, Smithfield, City of London

This Compter is now appropriated for the reception of Debtors; of Felons, and other Offenders; and also of Vagrants and night-charges (the watch-houses in this city not being permitted to retain Prisoners there).

The Prisoners are divided into four classes: viz. Debtors, Felons, Misdemeanors and Assaults, and Vagrants; and the Prison into nine separate and distinct yards: that is to say, The Master's Side, South-yard, 28 feet by 20, containing a pump, affording soft water from the river Thames, and from whence a staircase leads to two galleries, having each a sink and a cock supplying Thames-water; which is thrown by a forcing-pump from a reservoir in the main yard to a large cistern on the top of that part of the Prison, and descends from thence to the galleries: But here a difficulty sometimes occurs, from the forcing-pump being out of the reach of the persons to be benefited thereby. These galleries lead to six rooms (exclusive of the Turnkey's-room on the ground-floor,) having fire-places, capable of conveniently accommodating two persons in each, male or female, as it may happen, provided that a Man-prisoner is not lodged in the same apartment with a Woman-prisoner: and these apartments are at present occupied by Master-Side Debtors, who pay for the same according to the Table of Fees before mentioned.

2d. The Master's-Side, North-yard, 30 feet by 18, is similar to the South in its construction and accommodations, but contains only five rooms with fire-places, (exclusive of another Turnkey's room on the ground-floor;) and is at present occupied by persons under commitment for assaults, or trivial offences; as also, occasionally, by the better sort of night-charges.

3d. The Common-Side, Men-Debtors' Yard, 75 feet by 18, contains two pumps, the one supplying spring-water from a well in this yard, and the other affording soft water from the river Thames. It has a room at each end; one of them occupied by a Turnkey, for the better security of the Prison, and the other by the Steward of the Charity-wards. The wards appertaining to this yard are built upon arches, and divide the same into two parts; having communication by arcades under one part, and a room, in which is a large table fixed, whereon the Prisoners belonging to these wards divide such provisions as they receive by charitable donation. From this yard is a stone staircase, closed with doors at the bottom, and leading to four wards; two on the first story, and two on the second. The two upper wards are used as bed-rooms, and are fitted up with 16 low stump-bedsteads in each, (which lay upon barrack-forms, easily removed for the purpose of cleanliness,) and a supply of rugs for the use of the Prisoners. The other two wards are used as sitting-rooms, from eight in the morning until ten at night; when strangers are excluded, and the Prisoners are locked up for the night. The Sleeping-wards would be much improved, if all the beds were separated by dwarf partitions, having a door to each, but not reaching to the ceiling. Thus a free circulation of air would not be impeded, and the quiet Prisoners would be protected from the insults of the disorderly, in the night-time; an evil which has sometimes occurred, but the offenders are seldom discovered. The Sitting-wards are fitted up with tables and benches.

These wards, together with that of the Women-Debtors, are denominated the Charity-wards; to which each Prisoner, at his or her entrance, pays five shillings, to be applied to the common stock, eight-pence to the Steward, and six-pence to the Scavenger; after which the Prisoner partakes of all the benefits appertaining to the Charity-wards

4th. The Main Yard, 35 feet square, leads to all the rest, except the Master's Side, and Women Debtors, into which all persons in the adjoining yards (except Debtors) are occasionally admitted in the day-time, at their own request; and upon behaving themselves orderly, but not otherwise. This yard contains two pumps, one of spring-water, the other from the Thames; also two forcing pumps, for the service of the Master's-Side, and a cock supplied with Thames-water upon the Main; to which, by means of a screw, can be applied a long leathern hose, and thereby plenty of water is conveyed to all the yards, to wash both them and the cells. For this purpose mops and brooms are regularly allowed by the benevolence of the Committee of City Lands, &c. On the North and South sides are two large rooms facing each other, and having communication with the arched passage before mentioned; which rooms are occupied in the day-time by those who desire it, and at night are the common receptacles for night-charges*. They are fitted up with benches all round, and a large German stove in both. They have detached privies, and are capable of containing about twenty persons each, for one night only; such night-charges being afterwards classed as aforesaid, having first undergone their examination before a magistrate. These rooms have stone floors; they are spacious, and very airy; and have a number of rugs laid on the benches, for the use of such persons as unfortunately may become inhabitants in the night-time. Under another arched passage leading from this yard, is the Inner Turnkey's Lodge, and a staircase leading to a very convenient Chapel; over which are four good rooms, for the use of the sick Prisoners, fitted up with iron bedsteads, good tickings, blankets, rugs, and also canvass cases, ready to be stuffed for making beds, as occasion may require.

From this yard are two other staircases; each leading to three small bed-rooms, fitted up at the Keeper's expence, for the use of such night-charges, or others, as may desire to occupy them; having one bed in each room.

The above passage communicates with five other yards, separate and distinct from each other: one being a small yard, with a pump of Thames-water, and containing three scanty rooms, or cells, capable of lodging six persons. Another small yard, equally supplied from the Thames, contains five rooms or cells of the same dimensions. At the back of four of these rooms is a passage, with a fire-place at the end; which, communicating by means of an iron-grating to each cell, thereby renders them dry and warm.

The next yard, furnished in like manner with water, has a room with a fire-place, and four cells of the same dimensions; and near to this are two larger yards, having six cells of the like size, together with similar passages, and fire-places to keep them comfortably warm. The cells are all fitted up with barrack bedsteads, raised about three feet horn the ground; each provided with a canvass case stuffed with straw, and two or three rugs, or blankets, allowed by the City.

These last five yards are for the reception of all Prisoners, except Debtors. Here are also very convenient cold and hot baths, to which all Prisoners have free access, as necessity requires, and at convenient seasons. There are two rooms set apart for the sick, one l8 feet by 14, the other 14 feet by 12, and 12 feet high; and two other rooms of the same size, which can easily be converted into Sick wards, if necessary.

* These two rooms are now (1810) appropriated to Debtors; and Night-charges and Female Criminals sent to the Poultry, till a new Prison is built.

The prison is divided into two principal divisions: the House of Correction and the Compter. The front, in Giltspur-street, and the side nearest to Newgate-street, is called the Compter. In its wards are placed detenues of various kinds: remands, committals from the police courts, and generally persons waiting for trial, and consequently still unconvicted. The other department, the House of Correction, occupies the back portion of the premises, abutting on Christ's Hospital.

In the department of the prison called the House of Correction, minor offenders within the City of London are imprisoned. No transports are sent hither, nor is any person whose sentence is above three years in length. In speaking of Newgate, we noticed the want of air and light, the over-crowded state of the rooms, the absence of proper cellular accommodation, and the vicious intercourse carried on amongst the prisoners. All these evils are multiplied many fold in Giltspur-street Compter. The entire gaol only contains thirty-six separate sleeping-rooms; and, according to the highest prison calculation — and this, be it especially noted, proceeds on the assumption that three persons can sleep in small, miserable, unventilated cells, which were built for only one, and are too confined for that, being only about half the size of the model cell for one at Pentonville — it is only capable of affording accommodation for 203; yet we notice by the returns, that at Michaelmas it contained 246!

The House of Correction and the Compter portion of the establishment are kept quite distinct. We think the Compter rather worse of the two. You are shown into a room, about the size of an apartment in an ordinary dwelling-house, which will be found crowded with from thirty to forty persons, young and old, and in their ordinary costumes — the low thief in his filth and rags, and the member of the swell mob with his bright buttons, flash finery, and false jewels. Here you notice the boy who has just been guilty of his first offence, and committed for trial, learning with a greedy mind a thousand criminal arts, and listening with the precocious instinct of guilty passions to stories and conversations the most depraved and disgusting. You regard him with a mixture of pity and loathing, for he knows that the eyes of his peers are upon him, and he stares at you with a familiar impudence and exhibits a devil-may-care countenance, such as are only to be met with in the juvenile offender. Here, too, may be seen the young clerk, taken up on suspicion — perhaps innocent — who avoids you with a shy look of pain and uneasiness; what a hell must this prison and these companions be to him! Here may also be seen the forger, the coiner, the housebreaker, the pickpocket, the burglar — all forms and specimens of the criminal population festering in one common mass. These prisoners are left in this room — there are others of the same character — without work, without supervision, with nothing in the world to do except to kill time, and nothing wherewith to kill time save illicit gambling and telling over, again and again, the disgusting details of their lives.

On the other, the House of Correction side of the gaol, similar rooms will be found full of prisoners communicating with each other, laughing and shouting without hindrance. Very few of the prisoners attend school or receive any instruction; neither is any kind of employment afforded them, except oakum picking and the still more disgusting labour of the tread-wheel. When at work, an officer is in attendance to prevent disorderly conduct; but his presence is of no avail as a protection to the less depraved. Conversation still goes on; and every facility is afforded for making acquaintances, and for mutual contamination.

In fact, it is impossible to discover a single re deeming feature in Giltspur-street Compter. The building is too small; the internal arrangement is bad; the discipline is still worse. It is dark, close, unhealthy. Although frequently whitewashed, it is never free from foul and fever-feeding smells. Then, all the rooms and cells are ill-designed for prison purposes, being low, narrow, and unprovided with means for ventilation. They are not fitted up with any of the necessary utensils of a sleeping chamber; there is neither wash-stand nor water-closet in them. Yet large numbers of persons are locked up in each of these cells for twelve hours together, to breathe the contaminated atmosphere, and bee the witnesses of personal acts for which common decency would provide private accommodation. And all this period they are left to their own control! Tho effect of such a deplorable system, must be as deleterious to the health of prisoners as to their morals. Cramming five men into one of these miserable cells is slow murder. No human constitution could long bear up against such treatment.

Giltspur-8trect Compter is condemned. By intelligent inspectors, it has long been branded as a disgrace to the metropolis. The City magistrates have, at length, undertaken to build a new prison. Ground has been obtained for the purpose at Holloway, and the foundations are commenced. The present City House of Correction is incapable of improvement, so long as it continues to be crowded as it is now, and the only hope of the benevolent public lies in the speedy completion of the new prison.