§ MR. SAMUEL SMITHI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take measures to secure a more careful selection and training of prison warders, in view of the grave statements made by the Manchester City Justices at their recent meeting, when they had under their notice some instances of warders trafficking with local prisoners; and were also informed from an official source that similar practices occurred in every gaol in England?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH, Fife, E.)The greatest care is exercised by the Prison Commissioners in the selection and training of prison officers, who as a body are found to be trustworthy. Of the four warders, recently discharged from Manchester Prison for trafficking, three were appointed by the Local Authorities before the prisons were taken over by the Government. Experience shows that it is difficult to provide any absolute safeguard against trafficking, but there is no reason to believe that the practice is of common occurrence.