The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-04-15 00:00:00

Avvlttsz gum, Tiqmin Juirrics.4.

.. . . ..... .- . , . .
The prison, ..us inspection, had been found to be in
perfect order. There were so mimplaints, and the
governor reported that the candid of the officers had
been good. The number of prisoners in anitody were
131 males and It leasitlea; in MA infirmary;4 males nod
I female ;in ousted, for trial, 3 .male. and 1 feine:e,
.and on bail for trial 4 melee There were, in addition,
these inaleain sestet) !pr trial at the Sommer Assizes,
The in umber of prismers during the gamier bad been
WS, stalest 233 in thneormspondingquarter last year—
tivarease 27. Of t'his nnuiber 51 Pere from H.M. fleet.
The daily aiEtallptgers for the quarter was 137
erodes and gl less trisinlhereoritufpond•
but quart*,punishments fur the varier
infd been 23. being 5 less than the corresponding quarter
fast year. The diebareemente for the gear had peen
£970 12s. 11d., the same quarter last year £1,042
10s. bd., being a decrease of 271 17a 64. The pries of
-wheat for the quarter had been Elk 10e. 54. being
7d. per quarter lower than the same quarter lair
r. The price of bread had been lid. per 11b. lost,
ing the same as last year... The cost oimaintenance per
head had been 24. 6d. ; gaieties, 2s. 21. warming and
ventilation, le.:bedding, Clothing, and other Mamma
ries, 104., total, 6s. 6d., being 84. per head more than
last year. Three boys, at the termination of their re-
spective senteneem, had been removed to the reformatory
at Milhorne. The report was received and adopted, and
Mr. FORTZR mated the re-appointment of the Committee;
observing that these gentlemen who raided at a dis-
tance, and could not attend the committees, would do
well to withdraw their nemes.—'Phe CHAIRMAN Mad
that perhaps midi gentlemen would signify their
Inability to attend: A letter of the Inspector of
_Prisons, received from the Secretary of State, as to the
dark sell and the punishment of the prisoner, Patrick
‘ntiott, referred to at the 'ad ileasions was read by
...., Clerk, as follows :—I beg leave to acknowledge the
rdniiptof your letter, dated net inst., transmitted by
direction of theSeerelary of State,SirGeorgeGrey, for my
report thereon, a letter from Lord Portman, inquiring
whether on the occasion of my last visit to Dorchester
Gaol, I had examinesithesslark cell whereon prisoner,
are placed, for solitery confinement, and if so' whether I
was satisfied of its g tncts for that purpose. In roply, I
beg to say that on prisoner Ivaaundergbingsolitary con-
finement at the thtie Of my visit in August. it is proba-
ble that I did-not isiviecially examine the dark cell, with
which I was well acquainted from previous inspections,
therefoee, as it appeared to is. on perusal of Lord
Pcrtman's letter that there might exist some other dark
cell of more resent construction, to which my
attention had not been directed, I yesterday proceeded
to Dorchester to make further inquiries, and found that
the cell referred to by his Lordship was no other than
that whieb I bad formerly examined. -It is situated
ott the ground floor of.the loaning, andlineasures in
'WM about 46 square feet, .and as it has the very
fiffinuat height of 11 ft. 4 in., its anbieal,evintente are
jskiire than 560 ft., go part 9f th,e primp is warmed or
artificially ventilated ; and age dirk cell must be, by its
_pature, devoid of windows, endeavours have been made
'to compensate for ibis deficiency by three °peeing* In
the walls, and .itine large slit in the door, which taken
Vrether, gise bettor. ventilation than prevails in any of
411 r ordivary sleeping sells of the prison, when the ,
trindows of the latter is aimed. As, themfore, the cell '
ill question is as will ventilated as the defective
Miture of the prison allows, and salt only participates.
,ils.the mime degree as the other cells, in the want of ,
'itinuth, I cannot,- apart from other oonsiderations,
regard niss unsalted to the purpose. to which it is apt lied.
It is necessary, however, to add that the "unusual
severity Of solitary confinement as carried out in Dor-
chester Gaol," the long periods for which it is Sallia•
times indicted, and the very scanty amount of toed
allowed to prisoners confined in the dark cell for long
terms, (the latter being without parallel as fares I
know in any other prison) combined with tho imperfect
ventilation -of the MI. under that anode of punish.
meat it is inipoesible to nonceive a more
fearful • infliction, as regards the health of the
prisoner. .That WA °Maryellen stiv be tamely under-
stood, it is necessary to state, that in the prison in
question, one pound of bread per day with water bathe
only allowance to prisoners in the dark eell for tile
who're time which they nosy be confined, whereas in
other prisons no prisoner is kept for more thin three
days upon that scanty diet, two pints of greet and
half a pound ofbresd being added dailysifterthe expiration
of three di ys. net this is not merely • epeenlative
objection will be seen by the perusal of the following
ettie .—On the 17th August last, Patrick Lannon was
sentenced to three daye bread and water in the dark
cell, by t m govenor, mid being mutinous while there,
! ri.... put in irons by his order. On tho2oth, a Viettitt.
Justice, upon a coutinued complaint, extended the
punishment in the dark cell for ten days, and the use of
irons for three days longer. On the 16th of September,
the mune man having struck another prisoner was
replaced. in the dark cell for 10 days longer, so that
this priaoner passed 26 days in the dark cell between
the 17th August and the 30th September, during four
, or five days of which time he was in irons. , I venture
to affirm that no man can undergo such a punishment
I di this without riek of serious and lasting injury to
l'lns vital powers, and lain glad to be able to add that
the interference of the surgeon mitigated the severity
lof the last period orconflnement by giving to the
prisoner stone additional food and removing him for •
few nights to his own cell. Signed—John S. Perry.
The -Visiting Justices reported that : Having
, considered the report made by the Inspector of prisons.
Mr. Perry, to the Secretary of Slate, Sir George Grey, in
August last' remecting the dark cell for tile confine-
ment of relnietely prisoners in Dorshester Gaol, find
that ill addition to the question whether the cell used
•by refractory prisoneni was dr was not 4 proper place
for their confiument, the report embraces several
I ether-matters connected therewith which have been
tor the Arai thee brought to the notice of the Visiting
justices by the Inspector of prisons. Thequestion as
' regards the cell itself need. no comment, as it has been
answered by the Inspector in his report in the following
terms :—" I. cannot, apart from other Considerations,
consider it Initiated for the purpose to which it is
applied." These other considerations, having reference
to the warming and ventilating of the whole gaol, are
subjects in which the Visiting Justices do not think it
desirable to enter. The other points requiring notice
are tliese —"that the severiey of solitary confinement
as carried out in the Dorchester gaol is unusual;"
*mond, that "the food allowed to prisoners confined in
the dark cell for long periods is of very scanty amount,
and that this mode of punishment is rendered '
a more fearful infliction as regards the health of the
erieoner thau in most prbions." . The particular case of
Patrick Lennon, is cited in support of there assertions.
With 4egstrd- to tho -first of , them •Matensents, ts'
gemark is mit juetified, as the prison returns "bow that
iln the last 14 years there have been only 17 cases in
which selitary • confinement, has been resorted
'to by visiting justice*, and of these
only 12 in the dark sell, and only one
lof 14 days' continuous. With regard to the second, the
quantity of food hitherto allowed in that fixed by the
roles of the prison, and sanctioned by the Secretary of
State, there is no instance in which any prisoner
has same 1 in email% by reason of such sonfinement.
With respect to the case of Pitflck Lannon, it is suffi-
cient to remark that it was an extraordinary instance
Of mutinous conduct mutinsubordinstion, requiring an
eitraordinary remedy* That the pfthishinent first
, awarded having failed hi its object--that: of preventing
1 • repetition of the offence, and that in an aggravated
r form—a second infliction became necessary, the result
of whit:di-Lethat tke priainer bee since been well_cmi-
dueled,' and hitteed or snaring in-'health is now in
excellent health. In conclusion, with regard to the
,
remarks of. the Impactor as to the interfereuce of the
1 surgeon in the case of Patrick 14111110 D, no such inter-
ference on the part of the surgeon could be said to have
taken I.lsee,,a.s•this. Visiting Justice, when he ordered
the punishment, specially directed the attention ef the
surgeon ts the prisoner. The Visiting Justices have
ordered, that in future the diet in an CaRSB of military
confinement beyond three days shall be increased,
agreeably to the suggestion of the Inspector.
Mr. FORTZI said he wished inmate a few observations,
Is the reportei a Wine present, it would go forth to the
!world, that the Visiting Justices had behaved with
great cruelty to the prisoners. It wes an unjust report,
and ought not to have been made to the Secretary of
*ate in the way it had been, for, as the Inspector had
Tidied the prison many times, lie ought to have
mentiomeleifi $1 there were any thing wrong. He
supposed the noble Chairman had written to the
neeretary of State, that the cell was an improper one.
—(Lerd PORTMAN, "No.")—There was another thing—
When the Inspector came down to inspect the prison,
lie never said anything about Patrick Lennon, which
must hive been brought to his notice in some undue
way, and showed that there had been something going
on which ought not to be in the gaol, and that there
was a sort of espionage to pick up something or other.
He said he was glad to add that by the interference of
the surgeon, the severity of Lennon's sentence was
mitigated ; but such was not the case, for it was the
Vi'Ming Juttioer who called the attention of the
surgeon to the prisoner. As • proof his sentence was
hot a severe one, alter he bad been confined three
days, be. was exceedingly mutinous, so much co, that
When the birber went in to shave him he knocked down
the warder, and the turgeon called for !mistime to put
him in irons. because he declared be would take a
rasor and out his throat. The Visiting Justices
having been called in, ordered his confinement ten days
longer. He then went to work aid had his full rations.
He was again brought up for mutinous conduct, and
'WU 000411144 for threedayeby the governor. He was

ihat

let out after the first day, thinking would b
001110004 but he woe no sooner out then he began his
014 Plates; first of all by striking one of the primers
erithent .s proepcation. To prove lie was not
'rept bn thp low die; thoinapector said two days after he
Wee Put in tip *ell he was
.allowed a pint of gruel at
bight and, allwwwl-to deep.Aa his own cell ehe greater
' portion if his time, the lame aitheether prisoners.
With regard to punishments, they made it • rule that
, the visitors generally should be summoned, and that
two Or three should hear the case.
The PRAIEMAN explained why the inspector had
visited lie prison. It would be recollected that at the
last se iont, ome reference was made to the man in
' the " ,k he ," and his friend Mr. Gordon took up
Inde Ina r wit the seal he usually did matters of that
, a I inclined to go into the question. As
a i knirk... informed on the subject, be (the noble
Ulistrntibl told him he had better give 101110 time to
see how the matter really stood, promising that he (the
noble Lord) would ascertain whether the inspector ,
really considered the cell fit for the purpose intended.
- Hasetmndittele.WlOtelop44 _te.getary of State, desiring
him to see whether the inspector of pneens -bad to .
speeto the cell, sail might have been that,,being • man
'of exPerience, he did not do so on every occasion. as.-
log, therefore received this reply from the Secretary of
Stalk-hetelt-it till -duty -to f0.w...d iit-tothreksiting.
justices. His ionishipreiterated some remarks he had
' made at the former sessions, to the effect that in eases
of subordination of an aggravated character, the gaoler
had ne .ftlit fa take the law into his osen hand*, aid
that his duty was, not to summon one visiting justice
.Onir, but all the visiting justices._ If however, after all
ha ff bee betimoried, ooly one attonded, he oonkl act.
The Court had deputed important duties to the visiting
justices—they wete the eyes of the Court, and their
eyes were the gaoler, the chaplain, and the stirgeon,who
were bound to conlinurocate to them anything they saw
wrong; and he did not believe they would refuse to
hear their officers. The chaplain hail wished to speak,
but lio, did net think the Court wanted • discussion
between him and the visiting justices, but he might,
perhaps, he allowed to observe Ost the word " espion-
age had waged Mr. -taster's ups without meaning
.ariytlxing offensive to their carers. It merely meant
tht they used their eyes without telling the jestices,.
and that in (utura they should tell the justices what
'their eyes had Balm; -