EDUCATION OF CRIMINALS (ENGLAND AND WALES).

TABLE SHOWING THE DEGREES OF INSTRUCTION OF PERSONS OF ALL AGES COMMITTED TO PRISON FROM 1839 TO 1848.

Years.	Unable to read or write.	Able to read and write imperfectly.	Able to read and write well.	Superior Instruction.	Instruction could not be ascertained.	Total.
1839	8,196	13,071	2462	78	636	24,443
1840	9,058	15,109	2253	101	666	27,187
1841	9,220	15,732	2053	26	629	27,760
1842	10,128	18,260	2121	69	731	31,309
1843	9,173	17,045	2371	140	862	29,591
1844	7,901	15,735	2165	111	639	26,542
1845	7,438	14,179	2037	89	560	24,303
1846	7,698	14,942	1936	85	446	25,107
1847	9,050	16,980	2245	82	476	28,833
1848	9,691	17,111	2984	81	482	30,349

TABLE SHOWING THE CENTESIMAL DEGREES OF INSTRUCTION OF PERSONS OF ALL AGES COMMITTED TO PRISON FROM 1839 TO 1848.

Years.	Unable to read or write.	Able to read and write imperfectly.	Able to read and write well.	Superior Instruction.	Instruction could not be ascertained.
1839	33·53	53·48	10·07	0·32	2·60
1840	33·32	55·57	8·29	0·37	2·45
1841	33·21	56·67	7·40	0·45	2·27
1842	32·35	58·32	6·77	0·22	2·34
1843	31·00	57·60	8·02	0·47	2·91
1844	29·77	59·28	8·42	0·42	2·41
1845	30·61	58·34	8·38	0·37	2·30
1846	30·66	59·51	7·71	0·34	1·78
1847	31·39	58·89	7·79	0·28	1·65
1848	31·93	56·38	9·83	0·27	1·59

⁂ “The instruction of the offenders,” say the Criminal Returns of 1848, “has been without much variation, exhibiting, on a comparison of the last ten years, a decreased proportion of those entirely uninstructed;” and it may be added a corresponding increase of those who are able to read and write imperfectly.