Friends visiting prisoners

Book illustration showing friends visiting prisoners, from page 297 of 'The criminal prisons of London and scenes of prison life' by Henry Mayhew and John Binny. At Coldbath Fields the authors "had an opportunity of being present during the visits paid to the prisoners by their friends. 'Two relations or respectable friends,' say the prison rules, 'may visit a prisoner, in the presence of an officer, at the end of every three months, between the hours of ten and twelve'." Only fifteen minutes were allowed per visit, measured by an hour-glass as depicted in the illustration.