1858 the number was 41,580, the proportion 298 per cent. In 1857 and 1856, the proportion was 29.7 and 275 per cent. But as Mr. Redgrave, in his Report for 1858, remarked, it is not probable that any diminution would take place simultaneously with the abandonment of transportation, which removed so many from this country; and moreover the completion of the police system would lead to the apprehension of a greater proportion of old offenders. It is, therefore, most satisfactory to find that, with all these disadvantages, an impression appears at last to have been made on the criminal classes. It would, however, be erroneous, observes Mr. Redgrave (Rep., 1859, p. xxv.), to suppose that 27.5 per cent. approximates to the proportion of recommitals. Many criminals change their haunts and names to commence a new career of crime upon new ground, and it would lead to error to conclude that all who are lost sight of are reformed. But the decrease is now so decided, that it is scarcely possible to account for it except on the supposition that a considerable proportion must have ceased to be criminal, and have addicted themselves to "honest, quiet, and orderly pursuits." "1 Again, if we look to the juvenile class of criminals, comprising prisoners under sixteen years of age, we find that the number of commitments attained its maximum in 1856, since which year a gradual decrease has taken place. The number of commitments, and the proportion per cent. to the total number of commitments, in each of the four years from 1856 to 1859, are as follows:Total Proportion per cent This decrease is, of course, partly owing to the numbers of juvenile offenders detained in reformatories, who would otherwise have been at large. But the decrease cannot altogether be attributed to this cause; and to prove this we will now pass over the rest of the prison returns, and first examine those relating to reformatory and industrial schools. 'See L. M. and R., vol. viii., p. 82 (November 1859), "On the Reformation of Adults." Under the statutes 17 and 18 Vict., c. 86, and 19 and 20 Vict. c. 109, juvenile offenders, whether convicted summarily or by jury, may, after a short imprisonment, be sent to a reformatory school for a period not less than two, or more than five years. Under these statutes, private reformatory institutions, when "certified" by the Secretary of State, are places of legal detention. There is also another institution called the Middlesex Industrial School, which was established by a local statute (17 and 18 Vict., c. 169), and which differs from other reformatories in some respects, their chief points of difference being that the commitments are made direct to the school without any previous imprisonment; that the age of those committed is limited to fourteen years; and that the period of detention varies from one year to three years. The first school under this act was opened at Feltham, in January, 1859. It is for boys only. The expenses of the school are paid out of the county rate; but two justices may make an order for a payment, not exceeding 3s. per week, on the parents or guardians of the offender, towards his maintenance (Report, p. XXXV.) The cost of the maintenance of offenders committed to other reformatories is paid out of the public revenues, at the rate of 7s. per week for each prisoner, which may be recovered from his parents or relations. In 1854 there was but one certified school, to which twentythree offenders were committed in that year. In the years 1855, 1856, and 1857, the number of certified schools was 12, 29, and 40 respectively, and the commitments numbered 176, 534, and 1119. For the years 1858 and 1859 we have the following particulars: It is clear, therefore, from these figures, that the large decrease in the commitments of juvenile offenders to prison, cannot be accounted for by the comparatively small increase in the com mitments to reformatories, and in the numbers there under detention. It is also very satisfactory to find that, although the number of offenders discharged from reformatories increases yearly, yet the number of recommittals decreases at a rapid rate, leading to the inference that these institutions must do their work well, and that their inmates are permanently benefited by the course of treatment there pursued. Thus, the numbers discharged were in 1857, 118; in 1858, 299; and in 1859, 441; whereas the number of those committed who had been previously imprisoned were in 1857, 663; in 1858, 496; and in 1859, 472. The following table, of the social condition and state of instruction at the time of admission to these schools, of offenders in the years 1858 and 1859, is condensed from the tables in the returns for those years: The expense defrayed out of the public revenues in the year 1859 for these prisoners, amounted to £38,853: 1: 3, of which sum £1594:0:8 was recovered from parents. The management of the schools must be excellent; for, out of the whole number of offenders under detention in the course of the year, only thirty-three absconded who were not retaken, and only thirty-one were committed to prison for refractory conduct. The returns relating to the school at Feltham are not included in those we have above analyzed. The number of commitments to that school, up to the 30th September, were, after conviction by jury, twenty-eight; on summary convictions, forty-seven-total, seventy-five. The costs incurred by the county were £809: 4: 1, and of this sum £20: 16: 3 was recovered from parents. Before leaving this branch of the returns, we must notice that the Industrial Schools, instituted under the statute of 18571 for the benefit of vagrant and neglected children, seems to be altogether inoperative. Eighteen schools have already been certified, but to eleven no commitments have yet been made; and in the remaining seven schools, only ninety-six children were confined at the end of the year, and of this number ninety-one were committed to one school alone; "and it seems very questionable whether these children have not rather been brought within the requirements of the act, than strictly committed on charges of vagrancy.”—(Rep., p. xxxv.) It is altogether unaccountable why this extremely useful measure has been neglected; but whether the Amending Act mentioned in our note will give it vitality seems doubtful. We must now revert to the prison returns. The number of persons confined in, and removed from, the county and borough prisons, during each of the years 1858 and 1859, are as follows: 'This statute was amended in the last session. By the Amending Act (23 & 24 Vict., c. 108), the powers vested in the Committee of the Privy Council on Education, under the Act of 1857, are transferred to the Secretary of State (sect. 1), and not only the managers of the school as heretofore, but any person authorized by the Secretary of State, may apply for an order for payment to the managers of the school, of a weekly sum by the parent of any child sent thereto (sect. 2). VOL. X. NO. XIX. E Number in prison at the commencement of the year Removals between local prisons during the year There is one point with regard to these figures (extracted from the returns for 1858 and 1859) which requires explanation, but which we are unable to explain. It seems to us that the number of persons in prison at the commencement of the year 1859, ought to be identical with the number in prison at the end of the year 1858; but this apparently is not the case, for the latter, according to the tables, exceeds the former by twenty-eight. What became of these unfortunate twenty-eight persons between the night of September 30th, 1858, and the morning of October 1st, 1859, is a mystery, which perhaps some future blue book may clear up. The prisons, taken as a whole, afforded sufficient accommodation for the number of prisoners confined in them during the year 1859. They are constructed to contain 25,858 prisoners, and the greatest number confined at one time amounted to 20,693, the daily average being only 16,709. But, if taken separately, it will be found that some of the prisons are much overcrowded, and inadequate to contain the number of prisoners confined in them. We select from the returns (p. 75) the following examples : |