Sixteenth report of the General Board of Directors of
Prisons in Scotland (1854)
This report is a very interesting read on the state of
the prison service in Scotland. I have
only picked out a few informative
facts.
Library -“The Chaplain reports that the books in the library,
consisting of standard popular and instructive works, well adapted to incite
and gratify a desire for mental, moral and religious improvement, are read with
advantage and are in good order. Every
prisoner who can read is supplied once a week with a religious and secular
book.”
Exercising -The average time for exercise is 72 minutes daily. The exercise pattern has been changed from the 7th November and the
prisoners that were to be kept in strict separate confinement no longer walk in
single file or wear masks.
Rules for the Governor -No. 27 “He shall see that the Prison is at all times
quite secure ; and shall not allow any trees to grow against any of the walls…”
Uniforms -The male dress consisted of a “jacket, waistcoat, with
sleeves, trowsers [sic] shirt, pocket handkerchief, shoes and stockings,
neck-handkerchief and cap when necessary, a belt, (when the prisoner has been
in the habit of wearing one. In winter serge
drawers, and the waistcoat to be lined with serge, and for those who require
it, an under waistcoat of serge.”
The female dress was “striped shortgown, twilled cotton
under petticoat, blue plaiding under petticoat, bodice of stout twilled cotton,
shift, pocket handkerchief, shoes and stockings, neckerchief, cap when
necessary, other necessary articles. In
winter a drugget upper petticoat , instead of a cotton one.”
Sickness - In total 96 persons have been placed on the sick list out
of these forty seven have been “seriously and dangerously ill, and forty nine
more slightly.” In total 9 prisoners died
from various illnesses- such as consumption, progressive general paralysis (a
disease to which the insane are peculiarly liable) and a severe nose bleed.
However, there was an incidence of diarrhoea in the prison but out of all the inmates only two died and these “were those of two Insane prisoners, who obstinately refused all medical assistance.”
