The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-15 00:00:00

PRISON DISCIPLINE.
The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the
rules and discipline established with regard to the
treatment of prisoners in gaols and houses of correc-
tion in England and Wales, and into any improve-
ment which can be made therein, and who were em-
powered to report their observations and opinion
thereupon, together with the minutes of the evidence
taken before them, to the House—have examined the
matters to them referred, and have agreed to the fol-
lowing report and resolutions:—
That the resolutions adopted by Committees of
both Houses of Parliament, appointed in 1822 and
1835, to inquire into the state of prisons and prison
discipline, and the several gaol Acts which have been
passed since 1822, clearly show that Parliament has
long been anxious to see established such an uniform
system of prison discipline as would ensure the sen-
tences of courts of justice being strictly carried into
effect, and which would at the same time tend to im-
prove the morals of convicted offenders.
In 1823, the 4th George IV., c. 64, was brought
into Parliament by Sir Rebell Peel, when Secretary
of State for the Home Department. By that Act it
was declared that "due classification, inspection,
separation, regular labour and employment, religious
and moral instruction, are essential to the discipline
of a prison, and for the reformation of offenders ; and
that the laws ought to be so amended as would uni-
formly and strictly carry into effect such a system."
By the same Act all the previous laws relating to
prisons were consolidated or amended ; and it may be
considered as the basis of all the existing gaol Acts.
In 1835 a report upon prison discipline was made
by a Committee of the House of Lords. That
report took a comprehensive view of the subject,
and, amongst many other recommendations, it
strongly insisted upon the necessity of hard labour,
religious instruction, and separation, with a view to
prevent contamination. In that year the 5 and 6 Will.
IV., c. 36, was passed, giving power to the Secretary
of State to lay down rules for the management of prisons,
and to appoint inspectors. But although the Secre-
tary of State has the power to lay down rules, he has
no direct means of enforcing them. If the plans for
the construction or alteration of a prison do not obtain
his approbation, he may express his dissent, but he
has no power to order his own views or alterations to
be adopted ; nor can the justices after such dissent has
been expressed proceed with their own plans.
By the 2d and 3d Vict., c. 56 (1839), individual
separation is permitted in prisons, when a certificate
of the general fitness of the cells shall have been
obtained from the Secretary of State.
In accordance with the orders of the House your
Committee have inquired into the existing rules and
regulations of prisons, and have examined several
witnesses. From their evidence it appears that in
several counties considerable sums of money have
been expended in rebuilding or altering prisons.
The visiting justices are evidently most anxious to
adopt the best system for the proper treatment of
prisoners, and your Committee are of opinion that
their services are of the greatest value in connexion
with the subject of prison discipline.
Your Committee, however, deem it their duty to
state that several prisons are still in a very unsatis-
factory condition, and that proper punishment, se-
paration, or reformation in them is nearly impossible.
In the course of the inquiry a proposal was brought
under the consideration of the Committee by the
Honourable Member for Lambeth, for the erection
of a large prison or prisons in the centre of some
hundreds of acres of land; which it was stated might
be profitably cultivated by the prisoners, without in-
terfering with their discipline or reformation ; while
it would secure for them constant hard work, which
would materially reduce the cost of thei: main-

tenance.
The system of prison labour upon a large scale is
already in operation at the Island of Portland, where
800 transports are daily employed in getting stone for
the new Breakwater. Captain Whitty, the governor,
says he does not think that the discipline of these
prisoners suffers from their working in association ;
but by the regulations all such prisoners are required
to be from seven to twelve months in separate confine-
ment in Government prisons, before they are placed
under his charge, and he doubts whether he could
otherwise keep them under control.
Your Committee are not disposed to offer any
strong opinion in favour of or against Mr. Pearson 's
plan, for many difficulties would probably arise under
a discussion of its details ; but they consider that it
ought to be submitted to the consideration of parties
fully competent to test the accuracy of the calcula-
tions and the probabilities of its success, with a view
to its being adopted for prisoners sentenced to long
terms of imprisonment, or to those sentenced to
transportation, who must spend several months in a
prison in Great Britain before they embark for a
foreign country.
Your Committee having maturely considered the
evidence of the various witnesses, have finally agreed
to the following resolutions :
Resolved,—That it is the opinion of this Com-
mittee,—

1. That many prisons have been rebuilt or mate-
rially altered since 1835, by which uniformity of
construction has been extensively promoted, and that
the internal discipline of prisons has been materially
improved, but that great variety of construction and
discipline still exists.
2. That this Committee concurs in the opinion ex-
pressed by former Committees of both Houses of Par-
liament, that such variety is a great evil ; and con-
siders it desirable that that the Legislature should
entrust increased powers to some central authority
of enforcing uniform adherence to rules laid down
from time to time by Parliament in these respects.
3. That such increased powers would be best exer-
cised by a hoard subject to the authority of the Se-
cretary of State.
4. That this Committee also concurs in the opinion
expressed by a Committee of the House of Lords in
1834, that entire separation, except during the hours
of labour and of religious worship and instruction, is
absolutely necessary for preventing contamination and
for securing a proper system of prison discipline ; and
this Committee is of opinion that with this view every
prison ought to contain such a number of cells as
would enable each prisoner to be kept separate, by
day as well as by night, both before and after trial.
5. That where it may be necessary to bring pri-
soners together during the hours of labour, instruc-
tion, and divine worship, effectual means ought to be
taken to prevent any intercourse between such pri-

soners.
6. That individual separation of prisoners, termed
" the separate system" of imprisonment, contemplated
in the 2d and 3d Vic., c. 56, has been adopted in
Pentonville prison, and in many county and borough

prisons.
7. That this Committee has received much evidence
both as to the mode of applying this system, and as to
its results.
8. That this Committee regrets to have found a
want of uniformity in some important particulars in
the mode of applying this system in different prisons,
which they think ought to be remedied.
9. That, while the evidence as to the results of the
system is in some respects conflicting, the great pre-
ponderance of evidence, including that of almost all
the visiting ju3tices and officers of the prisons in
which it has been in operation, and who have been
examined by this Committee, is highly favourable to
it, and this Committee is of opinion that if conducted
under proper regulations and control separate con-
finement is more efficient than any other system
which has been yet tried, both in deterring from crime
and in promoting reformation.
10. That individual separation ought to be applied
to all prisoners before trial, as it is essential in an
especial degree that such prisoners should be secured
from all intercourse with other prisoners, and the
only mode by which this object can be properly at-
tained is by their individual separation, under such
modifications as are consistent with due consideration
of the fact, that they are committed for safe custody
and not for punishment.
11. That individual separation ought to be con-
tinuously applied to all prisoners under all sentences
of imprisonment, not exceeding three months, and not
being subject to physical or mental disqualification.
12. That it ought also to be applied to prisoners
under long sentences, during the earlier period of
their imprisonment, but this Committee does not
recommend that it should in ordinary cases be
enforced for a longer period than twelve months.
13. That hard labour is not incompatible with in-
dividual separation, and that where they have been
tried in combination, as in the county prison at Lei-
cester, the effect has been remarkable in the decrease
of the number of committals, especially under the
Vagrant and Malicious Trespass Acts.
14. That after prisoners under long sentences have
undergone a period of separate confinement, the re-
mainder of their sentences ought to be passed under a
system of combined labour, with effectual precau-
tions against intercourse.
15. That this object would be greatly facilitated
by the erection of district prisons, at the national
cost, for the reception of prisoners under long sen-
tences, after they have undergone such previous sepa-
rate confinement.
16. That such district prisons should be maintained
at the national cost, and the government of such pri-
sons, and all appointments and salaries of officers,
ought to be under the control of her Majesty's Go-
vernment.
17. That if this plan were adopted an alteration of
the law might, in the opinion of this Committee, be
usefully made, in order to substitute, in many cases,
for short terms of transportation, longer terms of im-
prisonment than are now sanctioned by law.
18. That this Committee does not feel justified,
without longer time for the consideration of such ex-
tensive details, in attempting to pronounce a definite
opinion upon the plan which has been submitted to
them, with much ability and laudable exertion, by
Mr. Pearson ; but they consider that plan to be en-
, titled to serious consideration by any department of