The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-09 00:00:00

PRISON HOURS.

A report was presented to the Court, recom-
mending an alteration in the hours allowed for pri-
soners at Brixton to see their friends. The time
at present allowed for that purpose was from twelve
to one o'clock, but the report recommended that the
hour should in future be from one to two, on the
ground that it would be a better division of the
prisoners' hours of labour.

It was agreed that the report should be approved
subject to the opinions of the judges.

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.

A report was presented from certain visiting
magistrates, recommending the erection of addi-
tional cells in Brixton and Horsemonger-lane gaols,
where the prisoners should be placed in solitary
confinement. The report did not recommend the
immediate erection of the cells in Horsemonger-
lane gaol, as it was considered that the measures
now before Parliament would materially lessen, if
not abolish, imprisonment for debt, and the cells
now occupied by debtors in Horsemonger-lane could
then be appropriated to the use of the felons. The
report, however, recommended the erection of 36
additional cells at Brixton, which would finable the
county to give a better effect to the gaol report, in
placing prisoners in separate sleeping cells.
Colonel CHALINOR recommended the adoption
of the report, and observed that at the present time
two or three prisoners were obliged to be placed in
one cell, which was only three feet long, and seven
feet wide.

Mr. R. JACKSON said that a magistrate had not
the power to place a prisoner in solitary confinement
unless the law ordered that mode of punishment, or
the prisoner had behaved in an improper way.
Colonel CIIALINOR observed that the prison was
at one time in a most disturbed state ; thay had the
soldiers rioting on one side, and on the other the
women were equally troublesome.
Mr. R. JACKSON said that he had visited the
prison at uncertain times, when he was not ex-
pected, and he found the prisoners employed in a
way that he should wish to see his own family en-
gaged in. They were sitting round one prisoner,
who was reading the Scriptures and other religious
books. The hon. magistrate then asked the Go-
vernor of Brixton gaol in what manner the prisoners
were engaged on Sundays.

The GOVERNOR said that the prisoners were
brought down from their cells at half-past seven
o'clock in the morning, and washed themselves.
They were then sent up to their cells again, and re-
mained there till chapel-time. After chapel they
were sent up to their cells again, and remained there
till chapel-time in the afternoon ; they were then
sent up again to their cells till supper-time, and then
they were locked up for the night.

Mr. R. JACKSON said that it was such treatment
as that he complained of. He deprecated its origin,
and he now arraigned it as illegal.
Several magistrates recommending the imprison-
ment pointed out in the report,
Mr. R. JACKSON rose and said, " Having a de-
sire only to assist the poor unfortunate creatures
confined in our prisons, and entertaining for them
feelings of humanity, I now give notice of my inten-
tion to bring forward at the next Kingston Sessions,
if I am spared till that time, the whole question as
to the manner of confining prisoners, and the law
and practice of the several gaols in the county."
The GOVERNOR stated, in reply to a question put
by Mr. Jackson, the prisoners were locked up on
Good Friday and Christmas-day in the same manner
as they were confined on Sunday. On the other days
of the week they were locked up 'at six o'clock in
the evening.