Page:Elizabeth Fry (Pitman 1884).djvu/70

62 number of eighty tried women. Perhaps out of that number twenty may live very well, twenty very badly, and the others are supported by their friends in some degree. When I say twenty who live very well, I mention, perhaps, too large a number—perhaps not above ten. I think their receiving support from out-of-doors is most injurious, as it respects their moral principles, and everything else, as it respects the welfare of the City. There are some very poor people who will almost starve at home, and be induced to do that which is wrong, in order to keep their poor relations who are in prison. It is an unfair tax on such people; in addition to which, it keeps up an evil communication, and, what is more, I believe they often really encourage the crime by it for which they are put into prison; for these very people, and especially the coiners and passers of bank-notes, are supported by their associates in crime, so that it really tends to keep up their bad practices.

"Do you know whether there is any clothing allowed by the City? "Not any. Whenever we have applied or mentioned anything about clothing, we have always found that there was no other resource but our own, excepting that the sheriffs used to clothe the prisoners occasionally. Lately, nobody has clothed them but ourselves, except that the late sheriffs sent us the other day a present of a few things to make up for them.

"There is no regular clothing allowed?

"It appears to me that there is none of any kind.

"Have you never had prisoners there who have suffered materially for want of clothing?

"I could describe such scenes as I should hardly think it delicate to mention. We had a woman the