The Sun.
London, England, 1837-09-08 00:00:00

PRISON DISCIPLINE.

The CHAIRMAN said that he bad received a most im-
portant letter from Lord John Russell, to which he was
anxious to call the earliest attention of the Court. He then
read the following letter :

" Whitehall, August 15.

" Gentlemen—l have the honour to send you a volume
of extracts from the second Report of the Inspectors of
prisons of the home district. You will find in this
volume different plans of gaols or houses of correction,
adapted for various numbers of prisoners, from four up
to five hundred. You will observe that each of these plans
contemplates the confinement of the prisoners in separate
cells.

" I proceed to lay before you the grounds upon which
I am disposed to concur with th• home inspector, in the
opinion that any new prisons to be erected should be con-
structed with a view to separate confinement.
" The plan which has of late years been most generally
adopted, in order to prevent the evils of contamination,
proceeds on the principle of separation at night and strict
silence during the hours of labour. This plan is subject to
the following objections :
"It requires numerous punishments in the gaol. You
will observe, from the report of Coldbath-fields Prison, and
from that of the Wakefield House of Correction, contained
in the report of the Inspector of the Northern District, that
these punishments are large in number, and exceedingly
vexatious in their nature. This practice is of itself a strong
objection to the plan. It varies the punishment unequal:),
in different cases, and the imprisonment contemplated by
the sentence is thus aggravated by the infliction of fresh
penalties.

" A feeling of continual irritation is kept up, both by the
observance of the rule, and by the punishment for its viola-
tion. Persons confined in a prison should, if possible, be
reduced to a quiet and submissive state, whereby they may
at leisure reflect on the evil of the course they have per.
sued, and some chance be afforded of their reformation.
Instead of this, prisoners confined in society, and not de-
barred from communication, are invited, as it were, to a
perpetual battle with authority, and go out of prison pro-
voked rather than subdued by the punishment they have
undergone. The low diet, which is one of the punishments
frequently inflicted, has often an injurious effect on the
health, while it does not prevent a repetition of the offence.
" This system cannot be kept up without perpetual vigi-
lance on the part of a very ❑umerous body of keepers.
The system is, therefore, combined almost of necessity with
the very injurious practice of employing prisoners as wards-
men, by which means a person convicted of crime, and
degraded by the sentence of imprisonment, is immediately
placed in a situation of power and autl►or:ty, and considered
as worthy of trust and indulgence. Besides this anomaly,
so contrary to all sound notions of prison discipline, the
practice alluded to gives rise to much intrigue and favou-
ritism, every prisoner being anxious to obtain the place of
wardsman, and, when so employed, dispens;ng favour to
those of the convicts with whom he has the most inti-
mate connection.

" For these reasons, and others, I am disposed to believe
that the silent system, if fully carried into effect, is attended
with much evil. But there arc in fact vi-ry few prisons
where the vigilance and activity of the governor of the
prison have been such as to make the system really effec-
tive, and in all such cases, while noise and uproar are re-
pressed, contamination exists to the most pernicious degree.
" I should therefore be anxious to see the system of se-
paration adopted in all new prisons, and as far as it is prac-
ticable in those already constructed, hut great care must
be taken when this system is put into operation not to con-
found separate with solitary contineuint.
" It is generally understood that solitary imprisonment
implies confinement in a gloomy and narrow cell, without
occupation, and with a diet of bread and water only. Se-
parate confinement—as recommended by the inspectors of
the home district—means, on the other hand, confinement
in large, airy, light, well warmed, and ventilated cells,
with moral and religious instruction, regular employment,
and the daily visits of the Chaplain and officers o► the
prison—as well as of those engaged in the instruction of
the prisoners.
" It is obvious that this system of confinement would
be subject to a very unfair experiment, if it were tried where
there do not exist the nwans of setting apart cells of pro-
per dimensions, and wholesome ventilation ; or if the pri-
soners so confined, should be left without employment, or
instruction of any kind, to brood over their melancholy
condition.

" Where, however, these precautions can be observed
and are properly attended to, there cin be no reason to
doubt that whatever be the result with respect to the more
hardened offenders opportunity will be given for savlng from
a course of crime and disgrace those young and casual
offenders whose previous good character is a proof that
their crimes are not the result •f confirmed habits. Ac-
cording to the system still too generally prevalent such
offenders in being sent to gaol are in fact sent to a school
where elaborate instruction is given for the violation of
the laws, and where the sense of shame is destroyed by
the number and confidence of guilty companions. By the
regulations of the separate system such persons would be
strictly separated from all other c►iminals, would have the
means of repenting of their offences, and when discharged
would not be liable to be claimed and recognized by con-
victs who had been inmates with them in the same prison.
" I beg further to call the special attention of the Ma-
gistrates to those parts of the abstract which relate to the
expediency of applying separate confinement to the untried,
and which describe the geneial principles to be observed in
the arrangement and construction of prisons upon that sys-
torn.—l have the honour to be your obedient humble
servant,

" J. RUSSELL.

" To the Magistrates of the county of Middlesex."
The CIIAIRNINN then complained of some inaccuracies in
the report alluded to in the letter, particularly with re-
ference to the evidence given by Captain Chesterton, the
Governor of the House of Correction, which represented
him as having condemned the silent system, while, on the
contrary, he approved of it, and !hid since written to the
Committee, requesting the error might be corrected. The
Magistrates would judge of the ♦alue of the report when
they were made acquainted with the circumstance he had
mentioned relative to the evidence of Captain Chesterton.
One thing, however, was clear, that whatever bencfit might
result from the proposed system all the gaols in the country
must be rebuilt before it could be carried into effect.

Mr. GARFORD said he considered the letter just read
was a most important one, and he moved that it be printed
and circulated among the Magistrates of the county, and
referred to the two Prison Committees.

Sir J. SCOTT LILLIE said it would be of no use referring
the letter to a Committee, as the Magistrates bad nothing
to do but to comply with the terms of it.

The CIIAIRMA.N.LNO, no.

Mr. POWNALL—The Committees w►ll have power to
consider the question in all its bearings, and report thereon
to the Court.
After a long discussion the letter was referred to the
Prison Committees.