Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 14.pdf/654

 English Prison Rules. Mountebanks," where, in singularly ingenious rhymes, he explains why Ophelia ought to have instituted a breach of promise action against the melancholy Dane.

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Ophelia to her sex was a disgrace Whom nobody could feel compassion for. Ophelia should have gone to Ely Place, To consult an eminent solicitor. — The Law Journal.

ENGLISH PRISON RULES AND REMISSION OF SENTENCES FOR GOOD CONDUCT. By John Miller. MOST people will agree that it is ridicu lous that a judge cannot pass whatever sentence he feels justified in pronouncing and have that sentence carried out according to the severity of the same; but it appears from a memorandum, drawn up by the pres ent Chancellor of the Exchequer, when Home Secretary, that it is necessary for the judge to pause and consider the Prison Rules before he passes concurrent sentences. It should be borne in mind that the maxi mum remission obtainable for good conduct is one fourth of the sentence for male con victs, and one third for female convicts. It appears from the facts contained in the memorandum that two concurrent sentences either of imprisonment or penal ' servitude are carried out in every respect in the same manner as a single sentence; but that a term of imprisonment served concurrently with a term of penal servitude has the effect of pre venting the prisoner from earning, as soon as he otherwise would, the number of marks which entitles him to be discharged on li cense! PRISON RULES. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PENAL SERVITUDE AND IMPRISONMENT. Every male prisoner sentenced to penal servitude shall pass the first six months of his sentence in separate confinement. (Con vict Prison Rules, 31.)

Every male prisoner, not being a juvenile offender, if sentenced to hard labour, shall for the twenty-eight days or the whole of his sentence, if it is for less than twenty-eight days, be employed in strict separation. (Local Prison Rules, 39.) In all cases where concurrent sentences of imprisonment and penal servitude are passed, on the same man, for different offences the result is: — («) He is necessarily kept for six months in separate confinement; and (£) While he is serving the concurrent sentence of imprisonment, the power to earn remission of his sentence of penal servitude is suspended. (Local Prison Rules, 37.) EXAMPLES. A. is sentenced to concurrent terms of four years' penal servitude and twelve months' imprisonment. He serves in a local prison six months in separate confinement, then also in a local prison serves the second six months of his sentence of twelve months, of which he can earn a remission of one fourth (making ten and one-half months in the. local prison) and is then removed to a convict prison to undergo the unexpired term of three years, one month and a half of his sentence of four years' penal servitude. Of this he can earn remission of one fourth (say nine months eleven days). The effect,