County Lock-Up House, Wellington, Shropshire

A detached building has been lately erected at the expense of the county. The cost of the building and fittings amounted to about 350l. It contains four cells, each containing a wooden bedstead and a privy: the bedsteads are supplied with straw. The key is kept by the constable: he is allowed 6d. a-day for the food of each prisoner. Prisoners usually remain here no longer than a night: in one case the present constable declares that a prisoner remained about 20 days; in another instance, about a week. But such are exceptions to the ordinary practice. He has known more than four prisoners confined here at one time. At the date of my visit, 20th July 1837, no person was in confinement.

This building has four cells opening from a passage, from which, however, they derive no light, so that when the cells doors are closed the prisoners are kept in entire darkness. In order to relieve them from this privation, the officer had allowed to the prisoners in confinement at the time of my visit the free use of the passage, from which they would have been able to receive anything from their friends. Each of the cells contained a very offensive privy. The walls and floors appeared dry, but no bedding of any kind was allowed to the prisoners; and although the weather was cold, no coals were allowed; but the prisoners had made a fire of some of the straw given then to sleep upon.

The building was in good repair; and as it is understood that the magistrates are about to convert the old debtors gaol into a police station and lock-up house, with a magistrates' room and other conveniences, it would be useless to suggest the alterations which would be required to fit the present building for its purposes. It is essential, however, that a gaslight should be placed in the passage, as a security to the officers while engaged in searching the prisoners. Prisoners are sometimes kept here for three weeks on remand, before they are conveyed to the county gaol, during which time, however long it may be, they receive no food, except bread and cheese. This privation even of the amount of nourishment given to prisoners awaiting their trial in the county gaol seems a peculiar hardship upon those whom the law holds to be innocent, at least as much as after their commitment. This remark applies with equal and sometimes with greater force to a large proportion of lock-up houses, in which severity, long exploded in gaols, is still considered justifiable.