The greatest number of prisoners in confinement at one time was fifty.

CANONGATE GAOL.

THIS prison has for some time been used only for the confinement of debtors. There is no airing ground; but the prisoners can take exercise in an inner hall. The only separation observed, is that of keeping the men and women apart from each other. The keeper does not reside in the prison at night. There are nine sleeping-rooms, three of which have no fire-places: two rooms are appropriated to the women.

352

264

20

372

24

288

Number of commitments in 1828 Ditto. . in 1829 The greatest number of prisoners in confinement at one time was thirty-nine. THE town gaol at Musselburgh consists of a large apartment for criminals, and a lock-up-cell on the upper story. There are two rooms for debtors on the lower floor. There is no airing-yard. The keeper does not reside in the gaol. Criminals are only committed for short periods. The number of commitments during the last year was twenty-four criminals and eleven debtors; eight of these prisoners were females. The greatest number in confinement at one time was four criminals and three debtors.

THE town gaol at Dalkeith is an ancient erection. It consists of two rooms, for the temporary confinement of offenders. No debtors are imprisoned here. The number of commitments during the last year was twenty-five males and four females: the greatest number of prisoners in confinement at one time was five. There is no airing-yard; and no resident keeper.

THE old town gaol at Leith was pulled down in 1824. A new prison has been erected, but it is not yet occupied. It contains a day-room and twosleeping-rooms for criminals; and about six lock-up-cells, connected with the police-office, on the ground floor. The debtors' ward is on the upper floor, and comprises a large day room, and four sleeping-rooms. The court-room and public offices occupy the other parts of the building. There is no airing-yard.

ELGINSHIRE.

ELGIN.-County and Burgh Gaol,

January, 1830.

THIS prison was erected about 1710. It consists of a square tower, built of stone, in the middle of the high street. The tower contains four vaulted rooms, one on each floor; and there are two cells below. The rooms are each about sixteen feet by fifteen feet. The first and second floors are used for debtors; but

debtors and criminals can communicate together, unless they are closely locked up. The third floor is for the confinement of criminals; it is arched, but very low, except in the centre: in this room are fetters attached to a large bar of iron. The room on the upper story is loftier; but it is out of repair. There is no yard, nor airing-place, but the bartizan, or flat roof, to which the general staircase ascends. There is no accommodation for the necessities of nature, except at the top of the tower, which appears to be the common privy for debtors; and the filth is thrown over into the street, once a week, to be carried off. Four sheriff's officers act as keepers; one of them performs the duty in rotation, weekly; but none of them resides in the prison. The number of commitments during the last year was thirty-two; of these, eleven were male debtors. Seven of the criminals were females.

THE burgh gaol at Forres is an old square tower, four stories high, in the middle of the principal street, with a bartizan on the top. It is greatly in want of repair, the walls being cracked in several places from top to bottom, and it stands so much out of its perpendicular as to be considered in danger of falling. The room on the ground floor is insecure and unfit for use. The first floor is used for debtors, and the second floor for criminals; each of these rooms is about seventeen feet by sixteen feet: in the criminals' apartment are iron fetters attached to the wall. The third floor is ruinous, and unfit for occupation. There is no proper accommodation for the necessities of nature: the article used for this purpose is a box, placed at the foot of the staircase. The keeper does not reside in the prison. Offenders for serious crimes are never committed to this gaol; but those for minor offences, both before and after trial, are sometimes confined here. During the last year nine prisoners were committed; six of whom were debtors, four males and two females. The greatest number in confinement at one time was four.

FIFESHIRE.

CUPAR.-County and Burgh Gaol.

January, 1830.

THIS prison was erected in 1813. It presents a handsome front, decorated with columns; but the internal arrangement is very defective. It contains four rooms on the groond floor for male criminals, each about thirteen feet by six feet and a half; these rooms open into a passage three feet and a half wide, from which they receive a borrowed light: they are said to be damp and unhealthy. There is also a room for female criminals on the same floor, about ten feet by nine feet, with a fire-place. The debtors' apartments are on the upper floor, and consist of five rooms; the largest of these has a fire-place, and is used as a day-room. There is a large airing-ground behind the prison, inclosed with a wall thirteen feet high; but it is not considered secure, and is only used occasionally, for sick prisoners to walk in. The keeper has apartments on the ground floor.

The number of debtors in 1827, was eighteen; and in 1828, eleven.

The burgh gaol at Dunfermline, erected in 1769, consists of a room for debtors, nineteen feet by twelve feet; three cells for criminals, one of which has no window, and a small room for women. There is a water-closet, but no airingyard. The debtors have access to the lobby, or passage, for exercise, which is about forty feet long. All the prisoners' rooms are on the third floor above the town-hall. The keeper has apartments adjoining the gaol. During the year 1828, twenty-six criminals were committed, and also fifteen debtors.

The burgh gaol at Inverkeithing was built in 1770. It consists of two apart ments over the town-house: one of the rooms is thirty feet by twenty feet; the other is eighteen feet by ten feet: there is also a room below, without a window, which is used for refractory prisoners. There is no airing-yard. The number of commitments during the last two years was nine; of these two were debtors. The greatest number of prisoners confined at one time was two.

A new gaol was erected in 1826 for the burgh of Kirkaldy. It is comprised in the same building as the town-hall and courts. There are six rooms for eriminal prisoners; three of which are on the ground floor, and three on the floor above. The debtors' ward is on the upper story, and comprises a day-room, twenty-four feet by twelve feet, and five sleeping-rooms, with a water-closet. There is an airing-court in the rear, inciosed with a wall on three sides, fifteen feet high. No apartments are provided for the keeper. The number of commitments from November 24, 1827, to August 21, 1829, was 133 male criminals and fifteen females; twenty-nine male debtors and two females. The greatest number of persons in confinement at one time, during the same period, was thirteen criminals and five debtors.

The burgh gaol at Falkland, erected in 1801, forms part of the town-house, and consists of two rooms, each about nine feet by eight feet. The lower room is used for criminals, and the upper room for debtors. There is no yard. The keeper does not reside in the gaol. During the last year there were ten criminals, and seven debtors committed.

The gaol at Auchtermuchty was built in 1728; it consists of four rooms; two of which are for debtors; a strong roon for criminals, and a "black hole," which has no window or aperture. There is a yard, but it is not used by the prisoners. The gaoler does not reside at the prison. During the year 1828, seven men and three women were committed on criminal charges: only two prisoners were confined at one time.

A new gaol was begun at Newburgh about twenty years back, but it has not been completed. There are two cells for criminals, nine feet by eight feet. Prisoners are in general kept here only for one night, and the number is very small, seldom exceeding one at a time. The debtors' rooms are in an unfinished state. There is no residence for the keeper.

The gaol for the city of St. Andrew's is situated in the centre of the marketplace, but detached from other buildings. It consists of four rooms; two of which are appropriated for debtors, one for felons, and one for vagrants. The keeper's house is under the same roof. There is no airing-yard. During the last two years, fifteen criminals and eleven debtors were committed to this prison.

The gaol at Burnt-island is at the west end of the principal street, and at the head of the harbour, but detached from any other buildings. There are three rooms, one of which is twelve feet by eight feet; the other two are nine feet by eight feet. One of the small rooms has no fire-place. There is no yard. The keeper does not reside in the prison. There has not been more than one person confined at one time during the last two years; and only three debtors were committed in the same period.

The ancient burgh gaol at Dysart, is situated in the centre of the town, and consists of a square tower four stories high. There is a lock-up-room below, which is but seldom used. The first floor forms the lobby, or entrance to the prison; and on one side of this is a large room used by the debtors, twenty-nine feet by thirteen feet. The two upper stories are for the confinement of criminals; these rooms are about fifteen feet by ten feet and a half, and eight feet high, with a fire-place in each. There is no yard. The number of commitments during the last two years was eighteen males and twelve females: of the former five were debtors. The greatest number in confinement at one time was three debtors and one criminal.

A new burgh gaol was built at Kinghorn in 1827, but no prisoners have been confined therein. It forms a part of the town-house, and consists of two rooms, one fourteen feet, and the other thirteen feet by nine feet. Each room has a fire-place and water-closet. There is an officer's room, or lobby, in front; and through this is the entrance to the airing-court, which is inclosed with walls thirteen feet high. The gaoler resides in the attic story of the town-house : another officer remains during the night in the room at the entrance.

The burgh gaol at Pittenweem is on the ground-floor of the town-house, and consists of three large apartments; two of which are intended for debtors, and the other for criminals. The debtors' rooms have fire-places. There is no airing-yard, and no apartments for the keeper. During the last two years, eight prisoners were committed, all of whom were criminals. Only two prisoners were in confinement at one time.

It is stated that this prison, if properly improved and enlarged, might be appropriated for a district gaol; being equi-distant from the burgh of Earlsferry on the west, and from Crail on the east; and by including these, and the two intermediate burghs of east and west Anstruther, with Kilrenny, an extent of ten miles would be comprehended.

The gaol at Earlsferry forms part of the town-house, which was built about the year 1785. The criminals' room, on the ground-floor, is about seventeen feet by sixteen feet and a half. It has no floor, nor fire-place, and is damp and insecure. The debtors' room above is the same size, but has a fire-place. There is a small room adjoining, about six feet by five feet and a half. There is no airing-yard, and no apartment for the keeper. No prisoners have been confined here dur

ing the last two years.

The burgh gaol at Crail consists of a room for debtors, in the town-house, about fifteen feet by fourteen feet. The room for criminals, called the "thieves' hole," is about fourteen feet square, on the ground-flat of the tolbooth steeple. It has no fire-place, nor window; the floor is unpaved, and it is damp and unwholesome. There is no yard, nor privy. No debtors were confined during the last two years: two criminals were in confinement during that period; and both at one time.

The burgh gaol at Kilrenny was erected about two centuries ago. The room usually occupied by debtors is the town-hall, which is about sixteen feet square. The cell for criminals is about sixteen feet by eight feet and a half, without a fire-place. There is no yard, nor privy; and no residence for the keeper. No prisoners have been confined during the last two years.

The gaol at Anstruther-West consists of a room for debtors, about eleven feet square, in the town-house. The cell for criminals is on the ground-floor of the church steeple. There is no yard, nor privy. The gaoler resides in the townhouse. No debtors have been confined during the last two years: three criminals were committed during that period.

The gaol at Anstruther-East consists of a room for debtors, about fourteen feet square, adjoining the town-hall. The cell for criminals, called "the iron house," is about thirteen feet by eight feet and a half. It contains two wooden bedsteads. There is no yard, nor privy. The keeper has an apartment under the debtors' room. During the last two years, nine prisoners were committed; seven males and two females: the greatest number in confinement at one time was two, and both were debtors.

FORFARSHIRE.

FORFAR.-County and Burgh Gaol.

January, 1830.

THIS prison is contained in the same building as the town and county hall, which was erected in 1788. It consists of five rooms; two of which are on the ground-floor, each twelve feet by nine feet; two, on the middle floor, about the same size; and one large apartment, on the upper story, is occupied by debtors. All the rooms have fire-places, are paved with stone, and arched over. There is no airing-yard, and no residence for the gaoler.

The number of commitments in 1829 was fifty-two; of these fifteen were debtors: three of the prisoners were females. The greatest number of persons in confinement at one time was twenty-one; of these three were debtors.

DUNDEE. Burgh Gaol.

January, 1830.

THIS is a bad and very confined prison; yet it receives a greater number of offenders than all the other gaols in the county, in consequence of the great mass of population congregated in this neighbourhood, which is increasing rapidly. The prison was built about 1734. It consists of two floors, immediately above the town-hall and court-room. There are five rooms for male prisoners on the first floor, two of which, about twenty feet by twelve feet, are occupied by debtors; the other three rooms are for criminal prisoners, but one of them is generally reserved for the keeper's use; these rooms are low, arched over, and without fire-places. The common privy is in the entrance lobby. The upper floor, in the roof of the building, is occupied by female prisoners: it comprises four rooms for criminals, and one room for debtors. These rooms are very insecure. When the gaol is crowded, sometimes. men, but more frequently boys, are confined in some of the upper rooms. Male criminals are also occasionally placed in the debtors' rooms below; and they can at all times communicate together. The present state of the gaol is such that the magistrates express great reluctance in sentencing prisoners, more especially boys, and persons accused of petty offences, to confinement; because they are fully persuaded that the effects must be injurious rather than beneficial. The keeper does not reside in the gaol. The turnkey has apartments on the upper floor; but one of his rooms is now occupied by a lunatic prisoner. It was not until the year 1820 that the upper floor was fitted up for prisoners. There is no yard, nor court, and no means of providing any.