THE BRITISH PRISON
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—In your issue of October 8th, your contributor, Major Athill, wrote : " Bullying—did it go on or not ? " So far as my knowledge goes I say emphatically, " No." Long before I ever anticipated that I should have entrance to a prison, I often wondered what treatment the prisoners received from the staff. Twenty years ago I was appointed Treasurer of this Society. I am chairman of an important sub-committee which meets in the prison weekly—a magistrate for 22 years and a visiting Justice at the prison. Have I learnt anything and if so what during all these years ? I have endeavoured to "get to the bottom" of our prison system. With this object in view I have taken advantage of oppor= tunities of having a talk with ex-prisoners who have served sentences varying from seven days up to seven years' penal servitude.
After discussing other matters—the question I have put to them is " How did you get on with the officers " The answers I have invariably received from every quarter confirm the high opinion I had formed of the staff in our prisons—and this from the prisoners themselves.—Yours Hon. Treasurer, Bedfordshire Discharged
H.M. Prison, Bedford. Prisoners Aid Society.
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