§ MR. J. M. PAULTON (Durham, Bishop Auckland)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Prison Commissioners have lately had under consideration the treatment of juvenile prisoners awaiting trial or on remand; and whether he can state what modifications, if any, in the existing practice have boon or are likely to be made in this regard?
§ * SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYYes, Sir; the Prison Commissioners have been considering this matter, and an experiment is now being tried at Holloway by which the ordinary discipline for unconvicted prisoners is mitigated in the case of those that are under 16. The modifications are, briefly, that the cell doors are left open, under, of course, proper supervision; more time is allowed for exercise, and the exercise itself is more varied; special arrangements are also made for their instruction and generally for giving them occupation. I hope that it will be found possible very shortly to extend these modifications to other prisons also; at all events, the experience that will be gained will be valuable in framing rules for dealing generally with the matter.