PRESTON HOUSE OF CORRECTION.'

This extensive prison belongs to the county of Lancashire; and contained, at the date of our visit, one hundred and fifty male, and eighty female prisoners. The governor, W. Liddell, who had occupied his post since the commencement of the year 1817, has met with great success in two respects. He has, by his kindness, gained the hearts of his prisoners, of which we observed some very interesting instances: and he has contrived to provide them all with full employment. The consequence is, that he governs with comfort to them, and facility to himself.

About one thousand persons are computed to pass through this house of correction in the course of the year: and many of them learn in it, those habits of industry, and that knowledge of a trade, by which they are enabled respectably to maintain their families, when they leave it.

When the term of imprisonment, to which any persons committed to this bridewell are sentenced, is one of considerable duration, they are taught, on their first entry into the prison, to weave cotton, and they soon become proficients in the art; for it appears that at the end of one month they are generally able to earn the whole amount expended for their food. Those, on the other hand, who are committed for short periods, aged people, women with children at the breast, and vagrants, are employed in picking and cleaning cotton,-an occupation not nearly so productive of profit, but equally effectual in preventing that total and destructive idleness, to which, even in our better jails, these classes of prisoners are almost always exposed. With the exception of invalids, there was not, at this time, one idle hand in the prison.

The prisoners are allowed one-fourth of their earnings; no part of which, whilst they continue in confinement, is allowed to be given them in money; but if they stand in actual need of any articles of clothing, which are not allowed by the prison, these arti cles are purchased for them as cheaply as possible, and the cost deducted from the amount paid to the prisoners when they are dis charged. It is no unusual case for an individual, on quitting the prison, to receive as much as four, five, or six pounds sterling.

Still further to encourage the habits of industry amongst these unfortunate persons, it is the custom of the governor to offer pre miums for good conduct and extra work. These premiums mostly consist of a little additional food; and, however small, are found to produce a very material effect. One man was pointed out to us, who, though at one time distinguished for idle habits, contracted

Visited ninth month 21st, in company with Roger Carus Wilson, vicar of the town.

to behave well, and work industriously, for two months, on condition of receiving at the end of that period two extra loaves of bread. He kept to his agreement; and was, when we saw him, under a similar contract for two months more. I have since learned, that he continues the same system :-ere long, his habits of virtue and industry will, in all probability, be fixed.

The prisoners work ten hours daily in summer, and six hours in winter; certain intervals being allowed in the course of the day for meals and recreation. The whole manufactory is conducted under the care of four inspectors.

We were introduced, successively, to several yards of various sizes, round which are built a great number of small workshops, every workshop containing, for the most part, only one prisoner. The felons, and those who have committed only misdemeanors, are confined in distinct parts of the prison. Amongst the women (who are entirely separated from the men) no classification is attempted. They work in companies, which are severally under the superintendence of one of their own number, who is elected monitress. The females were engaged chiefly in picking cotton. These poor women. evinced much feeling. They were evidently softened and improved by the kindness which they here experienced, and to which they bore an ample testimony: they also manifested the most lively pleasure, when we threw out the idea of their being visited, like the female prisoners in Newgate, by a Committee of Ladies.

The sleeping-cells in this bridewell are ranged on one side of long corridors, which are open on the other to the external air. Thus, these cells are very airy. We found them provided with good bedding, and, like the rest of the prison, in a condition of much cleanliness. We were sorry to understand that two persons sleep in every cell,-a most undesirable arrangement, arising, as usual, from the want of more room. The infirmary consists of four apartments,- -a sick and a convalescent room for the men, and the same for the women, - and is regularly attended by an apothecary.

It is necessary that prisoners, who work hard, should be well fed. This is the case with those at Preston. Every individual has twenty ounces of good bread daily, besides a quart of gruel for breakfast, and the same for supper; and for dinner a quart of soup, which on certain days of the week is exchanged for a moderate allowance of boiled beef and potatoes, or of cheese. These prisoners are also properly clothed, when they continue for any length of time in the house. They are bathed occasionally, and their linen is changed weekly. No irons are used here, cept in cases of emergency.

There are two circumstances connected with this house of correction, which clearly evince the excellence of that system, on which it is conducted. The first is, that the earnings of the prisoners save the county a very considerable expense; for they amount to more than half the sum disbursed for the prison.

The disbursements for twelve months, ending in October, 1818, amounted to 2,6841. 4s. 10d. ;-the earnings, during the same period, to 1,495l. 13s. 10d.

It appears, by another statement, that the whole cost of food consumed in the prison, is defrayed, within a small trifle, by these earnings.

The cost of food, for the half-year ending

Oct. 21st, 1818, was

9461. 19s. 5d. The amount of earnings, for the same period, 9407. 12s. 10d. The other circumstance to which I allude, is the small number of re-commitments. Of the felons who are committed to this prison, only four per cent. return to it. Of the misdemeanants, those who are re-committed are somewhat more numerous; but, on putting the two classes together, the average of returns upon the whole number is not considered to exceed five in the hundred. This fact affords a substantial proof, that the management, which is adopted in this house of correction, and which is attended by an unusual degree of comfort to the prisoners, has no tendency to bring them back again to prison: but, on the contrary, that it weans them from those vicious and indolent habits, which are the real source of crime.

We have, indeed, in the course of our journey visited no prison, which appeared to us to be so much a house of reformation, as the bridewell at Preston. More completely, however, to effect that great object, one thing seems wanting;-namely, more religious care and instruction.

The prisoners meet for divine worship only once in the week; and there is no school in the prison. The constant superintendence which might be exercised over them, and especially over the women, by a committee of diligent and benevolent visitors, would, probably, produce the happiest effects, in leading them from darkness to light, and from a course of evil to one of virtue and religion.

LIVERPOOL JAIL.'

The jail at Liverpool is very extensive, and was originally built

• Visited ninth month 23d, in company with Edward Falkner, Esq., John Moss, Esq., and James Hamer, clerk, who are all magistrates of the county, besides other gentlemen and ladies.

for the use of the borough. At the breaking out of the war with France, it was hired by Government, as a depôt for French prisoners, and continued to be so occupied until the peace of Amiens. About eight years ago it was again opened as a borough jail; but in the summer of 1817 one half of it was let to the county, as a house of correction. The prison may therefore now be considered as consisting of two departments; the one, the county house of correction; the other, the jail for Liverpool. Both are under the care of the same governor; an individual truly zealous to promote, by every means in his power, the well-being of his prisoners. This prison was built upon the plan recommended by Howard; and consists of the governor's house, and six other distinct and uniform buildings, diverging from that house as from a centre. In each of these six compartments there is the usual provision of day-rooms, sleeping-cells, and airing-grounds.

The sleeping-cells are too much crowded. In some of them, indeed, the prisoners sleep singly; but others are fitted up with barrack-bedsteads, which extend from wall to wall, and accommodate three persons. A straw mattress, a blanket, and two rugs are allowed for each bed.

There are in this prison a good infirmary and a commodious chapel, and both medical and clerical attendance is regularly given.

The diet of the prisoners is very similar to that in the house of correction at Preston; bread and gruel for breakfast and supper, and for dinner broth, and occasionally a small portion of beef with potatoes. A jail dress is allowed, and pains are taken to ensure the cleanliness both of the prison and its inmates.

To

Great efforts have been made by the magistrates for the improveme nt of that part of the prison, which is a house of correction for the county; and these efforts have been directed chiefly to the two great points of instruction and employment. promote the former of these objects, Dr. Bell's system has been adopted. A school-master attends the prison twice in the week, and the prisoners read the Scriptures every morning in classes. Each class is under the care of a monitor selected from amongst themselves. With regard to employment, notwithstanding the unaccommodating nature of the building, much has already been effected. Several workshops have been erected, and fitted up with looms. The women are occupied in picking cotton, washing or mending; the boys in winding cotton; the men in weaving, carpentering, shoe-making, &c. Every prisoner is encouraged to pursue the handicraft to which he has been accustomed; and sharp tools, when necessary, are suffered to be used, without any

evil results. When prisoners are treated with kindness and closely occupied, such instruments will seldom be found dangerous. The prisoners here are allowed one-fourth of their earnings, half of which proportion is paid to them weekly, and half laid up for them against the period of their discharge. The efforts which I have now described have produced very encouraging consequences; a great improvement has already taken place in the prisoners; and the governor assured us, that the management of them does not now entail upon him half the trouble, which it did before they were employed.

In the Borough jail, the old system of prison discipline is pursued without alteration or amendment. The prisoners are indeed tolerably well classified, the women being separated from the men, the tried from the untried, the misdemeanants from the felons; but all of them, with but little exception, are in a state of complete idleness; nor has any plan been adopted for the instruction of the ignorant.

It is singular that two opposite systems should be thus pursued under the same superintendence and in absolute contact with each other.

We were sorry to learn that there are some circumstances connected with a legal question between the borough and the county, which have hitherto prevented the employment of prisoners in this jail. But it may be hoped that the obstruction will soon be removed, and that the governor will be encouraged to introduce into the jail, those plans which have been found to produce so excellent an effect in the house of correction.

During our stay at Liverpool the magistrates kindly permitted us to form a Committee of Ladies, who are now engaged in visiting and superintending the numerous females in this large. prison. It was highly interesting to observe how much these unhappy women rejoiced in the prospect of being thus watched and protected; and with what ready eagerness they gave their voices in favor of all the regulations proposed to them by the Committee. I have since heard that the alteration for the better, which has already taken place amongst them, is very conspicuous.

A new county house of correction is about to be erected, on an excellent site, within two miles of Liverpool. The assiduity and liberality of the magistrates, to whom we were introduced, afford fair ground for the expectation, that great good will result from this important undertaking.

MANCHESTER. THE NEW BAILEY.'

The original prison consists of four wings or departments, which

' Visited ninth month 26th, 1818, in company with one of the magistrates and David Dockray of Manchester.