Interior of the House of Detention, Clerkenwell

Book illustration of the interior of the House of Detention, Clerkenwell, from page 435 of 'The criminal prisons of London and scenes of prison life' by Henry Mayhew and John Binny. The authors record that: "The prisoners are received here from the county of Middlesex and the metropolitan police courts on this side of the river, with the exception of those in the city. They consist of prisoners on remand, or for trial at the Middlesex Sessions; person in default of bail, deserters from the army, and cabmen for infringing the Hackney Carriage Act." New arrivals are "taken to the bath-rooms and cleansed... In the event of any of their garments being in a bad condition, a suit of prison clothing is furnished them, consisting of a dark blue jacket, vest, and trowsers, and good under clothing. Their own clothes being restored to them on their liberation."