’Mr Dunn, one of the surgeons of the prison at Wakefield, states—­“I am convinced that many persons, especially females, get committed to the prison on purpose to be cured of attacks of disease.  Many of them have admitted to me that it was so.  A man from Bradford, who went out last week, told me that he had been here before, and that he had got committed again in consequence of his having a return of his disease, and that he came to be cured....  One man who was here for a month last autumn, and who came in a very diseased state, but who left cured, required, during nearly the whole time, a pint of wine per day, besides malt liquor.  It was a case in which a very liberal diet is necessary to preserve life; and it was requisite to have a prisoner, acting as nurse, to sit up with him through the night.  The cost to the West Riding of this single case, counting expenses of all kinds, could not have been less than L.6.”

’The governor of the city prison at York said—­“By the acknowledgments of the prisoners themselves, I know that the practice still continues of committing offences on purpose to get committed to this prison.  Four prisoners were liberated this morning who had broken a street-lamp with the evident intention of being sent to this prison.  They were sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment, and on their liberation each prisoner was supplied with a coat, waistcoat, pair of trousers, and a pair of shoes, and one of them had a shirt also!  Many times last winter gas-lamps and the windows of the police-office and vagrant-office were broken, in order to get admission to the prison.  Out of eighteen male prisoners who were brought to trial at the last Quarter-Sessions, twelve in my opinion committed their offences for the direct purpose of being sent to prison.  Most of the vagrants committed to the prison still pass their time in idleness; no prisoners except those sentenced to hard labour being set to work.”

‘The following is an extract from the visiting justices’ minute-book at the same prison:—­

“Dec. 12th, 1849.—­The number of prisoners who commit offences with the object of being maintained during the winter increases yearly, and is deserving of serious consideration, as a serious expense is entailed thereby on the city.  The imprisonment inflicted is not looked on as a punishment, but a reward."’

If such really be the case, it is evident that a wrong course has been pursued in making the prisons so comfortable.  Some years ago, when society was seized with a paroxysm of humanity, prisons were got up in a style of palatial splendour, and criminals, the most worthless of the population, were treated with a degree of tenderness which was opposed to every principle of justice.  Possibly the method of reclaiming by kindness was not bad in the abstract, and in numerous instances it was perhaps effective; but in the main it was unsuitable to a complicated condition of ignorance, poverty, vice, and wretchedness.  It should have been borne in mind that there is a distinct class of persons to whom any kind of provision is desirable, and who, being sunk below all sentiments of self-respect, shame, and regret, would very willingly sell themselves into slavery for the sake of a momentary gratification.  To think of a warm, comfortable prison being an object of dread to this utterly-abandoned class!