§ Mr. Shortasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the total prison population at the last available date; the name and situation of each prison; the number in each prison; and the type of prisoners catered for by each prison?
§ Sir S. HoareThe total prison population on 28th June, 1938, was 8,837.
Bristol, Durham, Liverpool and Winchester are also collecting centres for young prisoners, i.e. persons under 21 serving sentences of one month and upwards who are collected at such centres, in order that by bringing a substantial number of young persons together, better arrangements can be made for their classi- 935W fication, occupation and training than can be made if these young prisoners are
In Local Prisons with Selected Populations. — Males. Females. Males. Females. Brixton (Brixton Hill, London, S.W.2) 318 — — — Pentonville (Caledonian Road, London, N.7.) 628 — 43 — Wakefield 404 — 85 — Wandsworth (Heathfield Road, Wandsworth, London, S. W. 18). 717 — 47 — Wormwood Scrubs (Du Cane Road, Lonson, W. 12) 850 — — — Totals 2,917 — 175 — To Wakefield are transferred selected prisoners from the Northern and Midland Counties, who are serving sentences of not less than six months, and are selected because, having regard to their character and records, they appear most likely to profit by the special methods of treatment and training at this prison.
In London the number of prisoners is such that it is possible to set aside different prisons for different types of prisoners committed from the Metropolitan Area and the Home Counties.
Brixton takes unconvicted adults, i.e., persons over 21 committed on remand or to await trial or for failure to pay monies, etc.
Wandsworth and Pentonville take convicted prisoners who have been in prison before, or who, because of their previous records, are unsuitable for Wormwood Scrubs. A part of Wandsworth Prison is used as a Borstal Institution for youths whose Borstal licences have been revoked. Wormwood Scrubs takes convicted prisoners who have not previously been in prison. There is also a part of Wormwood Scrubs set aside for young prisoners, i.e., persons under 21, and as a classification centre for youths sentenced to Borstal detention, who are temporarily detained there before each is allocated to the Borstal Institution for which he is best suited having regard to his character and history.
936W
In Prisons for Women only. Name and Situation of Prison. Sentenced to Imprisonment Sentenced to penal Servitude. Aylesbury — 10 Holloway (Parkhurst Road, London, N.7). 262 50 Totals 262 60 distributed in small groups in a number of local prisons.
Holloway receives all types of women prisoners from the Metropolitan Area and the Home Counties, including both convicted and unconvicted prisoners, and persons under 21 years of age. It also receives most of the women sentenced to penal servitude.
The main part of the establishment at Aylesbury is a Borstal Institution for girls, but a separate wing is used for a few selected women sentenced to penal servitude who are not of criminal habits.
In Prisons used exclusively for men sentenced to Penal Servitude. Chelmsford 146 Dartmoor (Princetown, Tavi stock, Devon) 306 Maidstone 243 Parkhurst (near Newport, Isle of Wight) 360 Total 1,055 Maidstone takes men who are not of criminal habits.
Dartmoor and Parkhurst take men who have been previously sentenced to penal servitude, or have been previously convicted of grave or persistent crime.
Parkhurst also takes men who require special medical care, either because of their physical health, or because they are mentally unstable.
Chelmsford is set aside for men under the age of 30 who are serving a first sentence of penal servitude, but have previous convictions or records which show that they are not suitable for Maid-stone, and are not of poor physique or mentality—the object being to subject the young and fit men to forms of employment and training appropriate to their age.
937WIn Preventive Detention Establishments.
There is only one prison which is used exclusively for prisoners sentenced to preventive detention, i.e., Portsmouth, the population of which was 91 on the 28th June.
There are also three men serving sentences of preventive detention at Parkhurst.
Women sentenced to preventive detention are detained at Holloway, and the number there on the date specified was seven.
— Males. Females. Totals—prisoners serving sentences of preventive detention. 94 7