Devon County Prisons.
The Times, 1824-08-31T00:00:00

I{Frnon a CrreseoqndenLti So muek useful iliformation aind good feeling have been of late years diffused throughout the country on the ma- nagement of prisons, that such gaols as have in no respcct benefited by this spirit of reform are no' happily becoin- itng conspicuous objects. It seerns that there are certain districts in ivhich nothinig material has Yet becn doone for thc improvement ot prisoni dliscipline ; anid it is witb some surprisc we learn, that notwithstanding the anxiolus l.abours of the Le gislature, anid the Magistrdcy gencraly, the pri- sors of so opulent a county as that of D)evonshire should he suffired to rcinain in such a defective state. 'l'he Devon County Bridewell *vas originally constructed for the confirtement of 72 pet-sois ; eachl prisoner having had allotted to him a stuiarate sleeping-chl. S) great, however, has been the increase in the number of com- mittals since the prison was built, that as many as 270 have been at one time .i confinemetit, and it has therefore been necessary to place five, andl in some cases seven prisonr-rs in one night-cTlt, the diimensions of which are 7 feet by 10. Surely the ftct oi so manly prisoners heing shiut up in this small space for a period, as in win ter, of 15 hours out of the 24, is deserving of some consideration. TLhe c&assification tiurinig the dayis aiso verY imperfest. In the misdenieananis' ward thlere Iere, sotne time back, 46 prisoners ; atn.ong them were three insane persons, one of whoin had been in confinement 16, anothicr cight, tnd a third threg vears. It Will hardly be crelite(d that in the Bri(lewell of so populnus a county there shoultd be no infirmary, vet such is the fact. TIlhe priso(ners have cons-quently sulfYerel in hl.3ltih, anlI the pr;sn in discipline. Tille surgcon has frequently mnadle re)rese:itations to this eflect, hut still notling has beenl done 'for the erect;en of an infirmary, which, by af- fording further means of classificati, n, would be ani ess; n- tial a'cotnmtndati!': tG the sick, atil rnaterially riroIlnoe the order fin,l good nianan:smLieT of thlt prisen. In the (ounty (raol therc are but two dlivisiona, one fur the mnales, at(t thc other for thle femiale prisoniers. Io., the division of the mnen are appropriated tw-o wvar(ds, a elav room, a court-yard, atid s.,wral c--ls on thesatile floor. These cells were originilly in tendfled for ni ti -cePls, hut thtey are usetl driting the dyla v the ntisoners to mnes int, anl are usua ly in a filthy stawe. in on i, wartd, the grarc(- proportion (of tihe prisoiael ar: usud.Ily cap tal coiv ict, o r transpO!rts, in floiible irons. In li- otitLe, are p ri.)loers of alITost every (lescription to bt inet with in a county p risti, viz.-prisot,ers ti.itried, ;)risoneri Fetuetej)ced 1tv Various terins of itnprisoitinent, troi thiree in, nti,s to fiv - year-, and1 prisonets uniider sentenc. of ,'-deahi; all in (ntirt idle- neSS, uttninilWsOVct, e:ndl venera!iV (:it!:A.i l i1 corrllIting e,acIh olher. Tlhlere have bvta as ian iy as 1 ll ln:le lirn- 'onerS toicEl COnfietiit ::;(1: pC, iii. i'ot loIIg siIceI. four lu;iatiCes were coiiitiitted as p (r.aois .lat ierota to li- a! Iar. e, atiottgil there is a Lunatic Asyluoti at Exiter,untlei the direi,tion ot th- oulintv maiAstrate-. P'fisao,,ta coin- wiittedl for trial on citari esolf felo iv wv( e irone,d, th ic wri.idit oi their fett,rs being fromn 71h. to f','Lb Th,I e i, no Ina- t-tn fbr the fiemnale prisoners. P'lais have bectif at titnes iuriiier tic n :;:dwr:,CwI (Wii Ihte coutitv tnagistratt; for the enlargf-tnettt of 'nt d ip -il,s, l,tL aie dlelavel frein tOne to time noli the urolittd OF III the titeaJatiime, thle evil-s resultin.g froain tk e 'it ,l IJi'! SOn lidi'c;plpio are vet' y eot ispicuouS. R-tco i ii i !Hs are i'leluenit. 'I'lie !Ul:''0 jV-,i OGtf-il-Is ivi (ldils eil- rieasing. .A1 1is in..tdan,va:le kttowtt of lovo aitil i,irls. who have lpascieI bit a fewv niondth iti thi* priion fozr light oiS lenir,Its lithitg returmed I iwto conrinviient tor y orinics DEVONV COUIN,TYr P,qISO.NS.