§ 66. Mr. VIANTasked the Home Secretary if such a. penalty as solitary confinement is permissible under the Prison Regulations; if so, what is the maximum length of time for which such is imposed and for what crime; and has it been necessary to impose such a penalty within recent years?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSNo, Sir. Solitary confinement was abolished long ago. The nearest approach to it, close confinement, is a punishment occasionally imposed for breaches of prison discipline, but it does not mean complete solitude. It can be awarded up to a period of three days by governors, up to 14 days by visiting committees of local prisons, and up to 28 days by boards of visitors and directors of convict prisons. The prisoner is allowed, on promise of good behaviour, an hour's exercise daily, after the first day's confinement, and to attend chapel on Sundays. Usually the confinement is to the prisoner's ol4n cell or a similar cell. Of recent years the Prison Commissioners have encouraged a tendency to substitute loss of privileges for close confinement. A table showing the number of prison punishments, including close confinement, will be found in Table B of Appendix 6 to the Commissioners' Annual Report for 1924–25.