TOO LUXURIOUS PRISONS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 2053, 9 December 1924, Page 3

TOO LUXURIOUS PRISONS.

AN ENGLISH COMPLAINT. A writer ivlio calls himself “An Astonished Observer,” and who evidently does not sympathise with prison reform, publishes in a London daily a diatribe against the luxury in ivliich, he says, certain classes of English convicts live. He describes their prisons as “fit for heroes.” Here is his article

T'lioua.nds there are who scarce can tell Where they may lay their head, But I’ve a Avarni and! Avell-aired cell, A hath, good books, and bed. This stanza is part of a rhyme written by a prisoner on the Avails of a cell in Beading Gaol, and it Avas written long before the poAvers that control our prisoners took to coddling their charges as tiliey have done since the Ai'ar.

Take such a prison as Dartmoor, Avhero are confined recidivists commonly knoAvn as “old lags,” men who have served sentence after sentence, and ,ivho are for the most part utterly irreclaimable! Twenty-five years ago a prisoner in Dartmoor had a sufficiency of very plain food, and did eight hours’ fairly hard work daily. His clothes Av-'ere warm and weatherproof, but) decoraitfed! ivitk broad arrows, and ho Avore a. Glengarry cap on which Avcre letters giving details of his sentence. He Avas knoAvn not by name but by number.

The Dartmoor convict of to-day is few far better than the average country board of guardians can afford to feed the inmates of their institutions. Skilly is a thing of the past. Bread and butter, tea, cheese, and bac-on arc provided, Avhile for the midday meal there is meat, ivith fresh vegetables, and on several days a iveek sweet puddings. On Fridays fish is served. The quality of the groceries, tea, cdcoa, rice, sago, tapioca, and the like is ail of the best.

Broad arroAvs have been abolished; convicts need not Avenr their caps. Prisoners are addressed by name, not number, and warders have to be most careful in addressing them. The hours of work are barely seven, and it is laid down that fresh floAvers must be kept in each hall. At Camp Hill, the prison of indetlerminate detention in the Isle of Wight, prison luxury lias run mad. The cells are light, roomy apartments, with windows that open and shut. Prisoners are provided with safety razors; they eat together in a large, comfortable dining rocan, and after the evening meal may enjoy a pipe and tobacco, both provided by the State. Good conduct prisoners get twopence a cfay pocket-money, Avhich may be spent tun luxuries in the canteen. The latest idea is “holidays for convicitis.” In July last some 30 “star” convicts from Maidstone Gaol Avere sent to the Prison Hotel at Camp Hill for three weeks. They lived under delightful conditions in AA r hat are more like cottages than prison cells, Avoro sailor caps and navy blue pickets, and meili each evening in a smoking-room. Avhere neivspapers, books, tobacco, and cigarettes ivere allowed. One can imagine them toasting the taxpayer in tlio last verse of the effusion previously referred to : Then to the British public—“ Health.” Who) all our care relieves, And Avliile they treat us as they do They’ll never ivaivt for thieves.