City Bridewell, Coventry, Warwickshire

Two rooms for men; two for women; all close and offensive. No court: no water accessible to prisoners: no sewers: no employment. Keeper's salary, £5: fees, one shilling.

This was the state in 1776; but now the old town-hall adjoining is made into a work-shop, and two lodging-rooms for men: the women have their separate room and court, and water is laid into both apartments.—If the floor of the work-room were flags, and the lodging-rooms had crib-bedsteads, this prison might be kept very clean.

Keeper, John Hassell, a Shoe-Clicker. Salary, 20l. Fees, 1s.

Chaplain, none. Surgeon, Mr. Whitwell; makes a Bill.

Number of Prisoners,

Allowance, The same as for the City Gaol.

REMARKS.

This Prison was formerly the old Town Hall: It was afterwards used as a Riding School; but at length converted into a large work-room, with two other very dark lodging-rooms for men. Here is no court-yard for their use. The work-room, now paved with flag-stone, has a fire-place, and fuel allowed. Of the two lodging rooms, one is now converted into a cell for the refractory; the other is called, very suitably, "The Dungeon;" and in lieu of them, four new cells, each g feet by 7, are built in part of the large work-room, which have boarded floors, straw for sleeping on, a blanket, and two rugs each. Up stairs is a room for vagrants, and one in another part, for faulty apprentice boys.

The Women's ward has a small court-yard, with a sewer in it; and one room above stairs, with three beds, and bedding, like those in the City Gaol. The Women were winding silk, procured them by the Keeper, who receives one third of their earnings. The City allows coals for the Bridewell. Neither the Act nor Clauses hung up. The Prison very clean.

This old defective prison will, it is hoped, be disused when the new gaol is erected. It consists of two divisions, one for men and one for women; but the means of separation between the sexes are very imperfect. There is only one yard, in which the men are daily at work on the tread-wheels; and this yard adjoins the apartment occupied by the women.

There are two small tread-wheels, each capable of holding six men. Prisoners who work at the wheel are allowed an extra half pound of bread daily. The other prisoners have 1½ lb. of bread each per day.

A chaplain attends on Sundays, and twice in the week be sides.

Thirty prisoners were in confinement at one time in the last year. The whole number of commitments during the year amounted to 182.

A New prison is erecting, partly on the site of the old gaol, and partly on ground adjoining, which has been purchased by the corporation. The buildings are expected to be completed in the course of the year; and, although on a confined scale, they will admit of properly separating the different classes of offenders.

Part of the prisoners are now confined in the county-hall, which adjoins the old gaol. Bread only is allowed, to the value of one shilling and two-pence per head weekly. The convicted prisoners are confined in the bridewell, which is an old defective building, at a distance from the gaol. There is only one airing yard, in which a small tread-mill is put up. Each prisoner who works at the tread-wheel is allowed 2lbs. of bread daily. During the last year, 44 prisoners were confined at one time in the gaol, and 51 in the bridewell. The whole number committed during the year was, 151 to the gaol, and 280 to the bridewell.