PRISONS

Transcript of pages regarding prisons, from the No-Conscription Fellowship Booklet,
'A Souvenir of its Work 1914 - 1919'

Page 59. FACTS ABOUT PRISON

Few people who have not served sentences in prison realise what the prison regime is. The following facts may give some indication of its character.

Prisoners are never allowed to speak. Prison officers are not allowed to speak to them, except to command or reprimand. No prisoner is allowed to communicate with a fellow prisoner in any way.

In the case of prisoners sentenced to terms of hard labour, except for forty minutes' exercise, they are confined to their cells for a month, during which period they are allowed only one educuational book. Later two books of fiction are allowed. For the first fortnight they sleep on boards only. They are not permitted to receive or write a letter for two months; after that a period of six weeks must elapse, and then regular periods of one a month. Both ingoing and outgoing letters are strictly censored, and all news of prison doings or of public affairs are excluded. Similar periods must elapse before visits can take place.

Three visitors are allowed, but they are only able to see the prisoner either in a room divided by two sets of iron bars with a corridor between, or in small wooden compartments divided by wire gauze. A warder is present to listen to the conversation and to prohibit discussion of other than domestic matters.

Prisoners work ten hours a day, mostly at dull and monotonous tasks. The normal prison diet is composed largely of bread and gruel, two of the three daily meals consisting entirely of these. No writing materials are allowed to the prisoners except for the purpose of writing the official letters.

In January, 1918, the Home Office announced some relaxation of rules to those COs who had served twelve months in prison, including two exercises a day at which conversation was allowed. The use of personal books, and visits to an ordinary room, though the supervising warder remained.

Page 60 C.O.s AND THE PRISON SYSTEM

Since COs have been released from prison they have done much to expose the evils of the prison system, by placing their knowledge and experience at the disposal of the Penal Reform League and by public propaganda. The labour Research Department has established a Prison System Inquiry Committee, of which Stephen Hobhouse and A. Fenner Brockway are joint Secretaries. The Committee is making a detailed investigation into every aspect of the prison system with a view to publishing a report.

Both prisoners and prison officers frequently said to COs whilst in prison that they would expect great changes following upon the exposure which COs would be able to make. We intend to realise the expectation.

VI - IN PRISON
Page 11 SENTENCE TO MILITARY DETENTION

Should Army Order X, be not conformed with, and a man be sentenced to military detention, it should be remembered that if he continued to disobey orders whilst in detention he can still claim a trial by court martial.

A sentence of detention in miltary barracks cannot be commuted to one of imprisonment in a civil prison, because in military law the latter is considered the more severe sentence and a light sentence cannot be commuted to a heavy one.

When conscientious objectors are sentenced to military detention. they are brought before the Central Tribunal in the same way as those in civil prisons.

IN A CIVIL PRISON
On arrival at prison a man should ask for the form on which to notify his relatives that he has arrived. The form which he is only allowed to sign, is then sent by the Governor to the address he gives. If a relative does not hear to which prison a man is taken they should write in the case of a first sentence, to the governor of Wormwood Scrubs Prison, London, and ask if he is there.

CLOTHES &c
On entering the prison, all personal belongings. clothes, etc., are taken from a man and only given to him on his discharge.

CHAPLAINS
Every prisoner is asked to what denomination he belongs and is allowed to be visited by a minister of that persuasion, if he so requests, and where there are a number of prisoners of any denomination, their chaplain is allowed to conduct services for them. There are cases where a man entering a prison has requested to be visited by a certain minister and the request has been agreed to. If a man desires to be visited by a Quaker Chaplain, he should upon entering the prison state that in regard to religious matters he desires to be visited by a Quaker Chaplain.

"A prisoner will not be allowed to change his religion except in any special case in which a member of the Board of Visitors or a Director is satisfied, after due inquiry, that the change is proposed from conscientious motives and is not sought from any idle whim or caprice, from a desire to escape from any prison regulations."

DIVISION
All Conscientious Objectors are placed in the third division.

Page 12 PROGRESSIVE STAGES.

A system of progressive stages is established in prisons, with specific privileges attached to each stage, and every prisoner has the opportunity of profiting by this system.

DIET
The old A, B, C diets are now done away with. Prison diets are at present continually being changed. At the moment of writing, (April 17th, 1918) the following diet is typical:-

BREAKFAST
1 pt. porridge every day.

DINNER
Sunday: 1lb. potatoes, 1/4 lb. rice, 1/4lb. parsnips, 3oz. bread.
Monday: 1lb. potatoes, 2oz. bacon, 2oz. beans, 3oz. bread.
Tuesday: 1lb. potatoes, 2 red herrings, 3oz. pudding with sugar on, 3oz. bread.
Wednesday: 1lb. potatoes, 1pt. soup, 4oz. parsnips, 4oz. rice, 3oz. bread.
Thursday: 1lb. potatoes, 1/4lb. meat (stewed), 1/2pt. soup from it, 2oz. beans, 3oz. bread.
Friday: 1lb. potatoes, 1lb. fish, 3oz. bread.
Saturday: Same as Wednesday only rather less rice and parsnips.

SUPPER
12oz. loaf, 4oz. potatoes, 1/2oz. butter or margarine, 1oz., cheese - substitute of 4oz. potatoes when cheese is not obtainable.

MATTRESS
For the first fourteen days a prisoner is not allowed a mattress, unless the medical officer shall order otherwise.

WORK
For the first twenty eight days, if the sentence is with hard labour, a man is required to be employed on "hard bodily or hard manual labour" in his cell; after that period he is employed on labour "of a less hard description in association, if practicable, and shall be eligible for all the privileges of the progressive stage system"
If the sentence be without hard labour, he begins associated labour straight away.

Page 13 VISITS AND LETTERS

At the end of two months a prisoner is allowed to write a letter and receive a reply, and receive a visit of twenty minutes length.

Letters written to prisoners must deal with personal matters only. The regulations state that all letters are read by the Prison Authorities; they must be legibly written and not crossed, and must not contain slang. They must not cover more space than do the letters which the prisoners are allowed to write; 800 words is approximately the length permitted.

The second letters and visit are due six weeks after the first, and after that at intervals of four weeks.

No visit (other than a Chaplain's) can be paid without a permit, which is forwarded by the prisoner to the friend he desires to visit him. This permit can be made our for three people, who must all visit him at the same time. After the first, all visits are of half-hour's duration.

In addition to the above, the Governor may allow a prisoner entitled to a visit to write a letter and receive a reply in lieu of such visit, should his friends be unable to visit him, and also to allow any prisoner to write a special letter and to receive a reply under the following circumstances:-

(a) The death of a near relative.
(b) To give instructions as to his business or family affairs of an urgent nature.
(c) To make arrangements to obtain employment or assistance from his friends on release.

The Governor may at any time communicate to a prisoner or to his friends any matter of importance to such prisoner in case he should not be entitled to write or receive a letter.

Application may also be made to the Governor for a visit or letter to be granted in advance, if pressing circumstances require such an alteration of time.

Often a polite request to the Governor as to a man's health, etc., has resulted in a brief reply, stating the general health and condition of the man.

PHOTOGRAPHS
At the end of the first month a prisoner may receive four photographs; they must be unframed, and should not be larger than "cabinet" size [approx. 10.8cms x 16.5cms].

BOOKS
Every prisoner is provided with a Bible, also a prayer book and hymn book such as are approved by the denomination to which he belongs, and usually with a copy of a curious little "manual of devotion", entitled "The Narrow Way".

Quakers are allowed to have the Fellowship Hymn Book and, in place of "The Narrow Way", the Friends' "Book of Discipline".

Page 14

During the first month of his sentence the prisoner is also allowed an educational book, which is changed about once a fortnight. After the first month he is allowed a library book in addition to the educational and religious books. Friends who wish to send books to a prison must forward a list of such books to the Prison Commissioners, at the Home Office, Whitehall, SW., for their approval. On receipt of their permission, the books may be presented to the prison library, where they become the property of the prison.

HEALTH
The prison rules provide that the medical officer shall visit the prison at least once every day and shall see such prisoners as complain of illness and shall see every prisoner at least once a week. Rule 110 clearly states that it is the duty of every officer to direct the attention of the governor to any prisoner who appears to be out of health, even if he does not complain, or whose state of mind appears to be deserving of special notice and care, in order that the opinion and instructions of the medical officer may be taken on the case. It is further provided that the Governor shall report to the doctor a man requiring attention, and to the Commissioners if the doctor thinks the prisoner's mental state is becoming impaired or that the prisoner's life will be endangered by further imprisonment.

PUNISHMENTS
(Rules for Local Prisons 78, 79, 81, 82, 83)

The breaking of the silence rule is the most usual "offence" in prison. With this, and other offences not classed as "serious", the Governor is competent to deal. He may order: -

(a) Close confinement for not more than three days.
(b) No. 1 punishment diet for not more than three days;
No. 2 punishment diet for not more than 21 days; No. 3 punishment diet for not more than 42 days.
Diets 2 and 3 must be given with intervals as laid down in the rules for dietaries.
(c) Reduction from a higher stage to a lower stage, or postponement of promotion to a higher stage for a period not exceeding 14 days.
(d) Deprivation of mattress for not more than 3 days.
(e) Forfeiture of remission of sentence for not more that seven days.

Some conscientious objectors feel they must refuse to work in prison. By so doing they forfeit all visits and letters, and it is also practically impossible for their friends to get news of them.

They may also be brought before the Visiting Committee and given close confinement and dietary and other punishments, but at the moment of writing (April 17th 1918) it appears to be the usual practice to give them confinement only.

Page 15 No. 1. PUNISHMENT DIET

When given for more than three days -

(a) 1lb. bread per diem, with water.
(b) the ordinary diet of the detention barrack or prison for alternate and equal periods not exceeding three days (respectively) in duration.

No. 2. PUNISHMENT DIET

Breakfast - Bread 8oz.
Dinner - 1 pt. stirabout, containing 2oz., oatmeal, 2oz. Indian meal, salt, potatoes 8oz.
Supper - Bread 8oz.
When No 2 Diet is ordered for a period exceeding 21 days, it is to consist of the above diet for the first three weeks, and after the fourth week. During the fourth week the soldier under sentence is to receive the ordinary detention barrack or prison diet.

No soldier under sentence, who has been upon this scale for 21 days continuously, can be again placed upon it until after the expiration of one week, during which interval he will receive the ordinary detention barrack or prison diet.
Whilst on No. 2 diet, the Governor may award a sentence of not more than three days on No. 1 diet for further 'misconduct'.

THE CENTRAL TRIBUNAL
During a conscientious objector's first sentence, he is brought before the Central Tribunal, which sits in Wormwood Scrubs Prison, and is first asked whether he is willing to accept work on the Home Office Scheme under the Committee on Employment of Conscientious Objectors.

If he says that he is willing, the Tribunal question him further, and if they judge him to be "genuine", allow him to take up the work, and he is released and sent to one of the Work Centres.
A man who refuses the scheme but later desires to take it up, may make application to the Tribunal during his second sentence.

CONCESSIONS TO MEN WHO HAVE SERVED TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT EQUIVALENT TO A 12 MONTHS' SENTENCE.
These concessions came into force in December 1917.

(1) A letter and reply on octavo sized notepaper once a fortnight and a visit of 30 minutes once a month, where possible, in a private room, in the presence of a warder.
(2) Two exercises per day (Sundays included) during which the men are allowed to talk. The usual procedure is for men to walk round the exercise rings two and two ...