The Forest of Dean Examiner : — 1875-07-02 (Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England)

REPORT.  Tho,llon. and Rev. A. C. Talbot read the report of the Visiting Justices, which stated the gaol to be in good order. The usual quarterly statement showed a slight decrease in numbers as compared with last year. The decrease in the cost per head arosb from the abatement in price of most of the article, consumed. The number of committals for trial was-- 72 males, 17 females: committals summarily-843 males, 254 females: prisoners committed under the age of twenty years-141 males, 43 females : re-committals-369 males, 131 females: re. cammetsl. of prisoners aided by .Aid Societies—l i I female: discharged prisoners aided by All -89 males. 21 females: children sent to t•f. during the quarter-4 males. The tot: e • ,r the quarter amounted to .£3.237 ....mpared with 13,418 Is. :dd. in 1874. Tle • ... : eost per prisoner kler week was Bs. Oid. Tle• .. the county of prisoners aided by Die.. ehar, Prisoners Aid Societies, eras A:46 Os. 72. and average number of prisoners 618, in 1874. The report of the surgeon to the gaul çMr. C. 11. (tnaires) stated that the health of the prisoners had been generally good: th.at two prism awes had been removed to the ....linty asylum— em, male tad ono female : the latter was insane  when received in this prison, and Wan committed to take her trial for attempting to commit suicide.— The Hon. and Ilev. A. C. 'Talbot said he had received front Mr. Greaves, the surgeon to the gaol. a letter calling attention to the late increase in the number of persons sent to onol either as iIaCCHCS or epileptics, whereas they 7should be sent to their respective workhousys, lie also referred to the increase in the number of persons who were remanded for the purpose of obtaining certificates as to their state of mind. Such information could be much better procured from the local medical men. Mr. Greaves asked if the 'Visiting Justices would kindly inform hint if he were entitled to a fee in respect of such certificates—(laughter). The rev. gentleman said he was of opinion that such patients HA the surgeon had referred to had no business at the gaol, and their being sent there put the county to a considerable expense. The justices' clerks got a heavy fee and the visiting justices were obliged to write to the Secretary of State to get the patients removed to a hmaticasylum. Such patients were not fit inhabitantsad the gaol, the justices did not know what to do with them, they had no facilities for looking after them, and it was a most inconvenient pmetice. The Chairman said he entirely Concurred in the remarks made by the Hon. and key. A. C. Talbot. Mr. 11. Kettle called attention to the table in the report of the visiting jnstices with regard to the prisoners. It would be seen that the number of prisoners committed was—males, 1,056, and females, 31.1; in all 1,370. Of those the re-committals numbered 500. He made this statement because a similar statement had not been made for several sessions.  Ihe Chairman said the number of recommittals was satisfactory and unsatisfactory. They had many instances of those re-committals tram time to time, particularly with regard to women whom they had in almost half their time. They had had casia of persons being committed 60 and even 100 times. From what he knew of the prison discipline, however, he did not thinkj the re-eomitiittal had anything to do with that, lie believed theirs was one of the few.gaols in England where the sentences were carried oat legally. Every prisoner suffered the amount of hard labour to winch he Was sentenced. The prison inspector recently said it was a fareak4o go through their gaol, because everything was la proper order, and the discipline well carried Amt. Therefore, he slid not think the number of re-tominitials was any reproach upon the the discipline of the gaol.  M. bane Spooner argued that the only proper muse open to the magistrates sons to send persons charged with attempting suicide to the gaol whilst the necessary inquiries were being made; the gaol was the proper place for them, and they could not help it. The report was then adopted.