§ MR. MITCHELL HENRYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is true that a prisoner in Coldbath Fields Prison, who has not been sentenced to hard labour, is confined in a cell six feet long by four feet wide for twenty-three hours out of the twenty-four; whether the diet of such a prisoner includes only six ounces of meat in the week; and, whether the only occupation which the prison authorities will supply to such a person, if he desires to have anything to do, is to give him a piece of mat to pick to pieces?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, he had received a communication from the Governor of Coldbath Fields Prison, from which it appeared that there was no cell in the prison so small as 6 feet long by 4 feet vide. The smallest cell was 6½ feet by 5½ feet, and there were cells 11 feet by 6 feet, and 11 feet by 8½ feet wide. The dietary of a prisoner not sentenced to hard labour, included 6 ounces of meat in the week, 217 cooked and without bone, besides which he receives meat in soup and also suet. So far as the occupation was concerned, it was not the case that it was confined to picking a piece of mat. There was considerable variety in the occupation, which, among other things, included needlework, stocking knitting, and oakum-picking.
§ MR. MITCHELL HENRYThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the Question whether a prisoner who has not been sentenced to hard labour is confined for 23 hours out of 24?
§ MR. MITCHELL HENRYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, since the Metropolitan and County Prisons passed into the hands of the Government, the visits of the friends of prisoners have been much curtailed, and the diet of the prisoners much reduced by the cutting off of the coffee and cocoa formerly allowed; whether it is true that, under the revised regulations, a prisoner rises at half-past six and cleans out his cell, at eight has gruel and bread for breakfast, at noon dinner, at four o'clock gruel and bread again, and no further food until the next morning; whether on Sundays the diet at dinner is half a pound of cold suet pudding and no meat; whether absolute silence is required during the whole day; and, whether, when the weather is bad, a prisoner, not sentenced to hard labour, is deprived of his exercise and locked up in his cell for the whole of the twenty-four hours?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, the general practice in all great prisons, before the prisons passed into the hands of the Government, was that a visit to a prisoner might take place once in three months. No change had been made in the number of visits allowed, but the length of the visits had been extended from 15 to 20 minutes. The Visiting Committee had power to enlarge the time in special cases. If the hon. Member looked at the dietary table presented to the House, he would see that the diet of the prisoners had been reduced by the cutting off of the cocoa formerly allowed. The Sunday dinner consisted, not of cold suet pudding, but of suet pudding served hot, together with bread and potatoes. No change had been made as to the rule of silence. 218 In wet weather a prisoner not sentenced to hard labour was not deprived of his exercise. When the weather was bad, he took his exercise in the corridor. The hon. Member could learn all about the prisons in a quarter of an hours' discussion with the Home Office officials, and he would then see that there was no such grievance as his Question implied.