The newcomers were informed that presently they would be asked what religion they were. Each man might please himself what he chose to be, but what he elected he must stick to.
The bill of fare for each day of the week was read out to them. The allowance given to each person was quite sufficient to support life, and keep him in good health.
Luxuries were, of course, never thought of. Coarse plain food was all they had any right to expect, and certainly it was all they got, but the cost of prisons forms a very large item in the expenses of the country.
Up to the time the prisons were taken over by the Government, it appears that the cost of maintaining the prisoners, exclusive of convicts, had been slowly but gradually diminishing, and it is not improbable this movement will now continue even more rapidly.
It appears from the volume of judicial statistics lately issued, that the average for the year 1876-7, of £28 16s. 7d., calculated on the total cost, is less than the corresponding average for 1875-6 by £1 9s. 5d.
The average, omitting the extraordinary charge for buildings, &c., is less than the corresponding amount for 1875-6 by £1 4s. The average yearly charge per prisoner, depending in a great degree on the number of prison officials maintained, and the daily average of prisoners, varies greatly in different prisons.
It is, of course, affected also by extraordinary charges of buildings, loans, &c. The lowest average cost per prisoner for 1876-7, as for 1875-6, is at Salford County Prison, where, with a total staff of 65 officers, and a total daily average of 900 prisoners in the latter year, and of 66 officers, and a total daily average of 966 prisoners in 1876-7, the average cost per prisoner was £14 6s. 1d. in 1876-7, and £15 12s. 5d. in 1875-6.
In Durham County Prison, with a total staff of 42, and a daily average of 641 prisoners, the average cost per prisoner was in 1876-7, £17 0s. 2d.
In this prison for the previous year, with a like staff of 42, and with a daily average of 625 prisoners, the average cost per prisoner was £17 17s. 6d.
In Preston County Prison, with a staff of 36 officers, and a daily average of 435 prisoners, in 1876-7 the average cost per prisoner was £16 14s. 10d.