Borstal Classification

Lads who were sentenced to borstal training were sent first to classificaton centres .

One of the classification centres was at Wormwood Scrubs Prison in London where lads were sent immediately after their sentence. During the weeks which they spent there they were interviewed by the Deputy Governor, and seen by the Medical Officer.

Each lad was then seen by a Prison Commissioner, who made the final decision as to which particular Borstal institution he was sent. Lads were drafted to the institution for which they were best suited, and the classification was based on these main facts.

1. Crime and general behaviour reports.

2. Standard of education.

3. Physique.

4. Character.

5. General attitude to authority.

Borstal Officers gave a brief description of some Borstals in 'Crime and the community' -

Feltham Borstal- Lads from 16 to 18 years of age, of malleable type, and those mentally weak, irrespective of age.

Camp-Hill Borstal (I.O.W.)-Lads 16-18 but of a more difficult or hardened type.

Lowdham Grange- 16-21, who might repond well to training, and be fit for early release.

North Sea Camp Borstal-Similar to those at Lowdham Grange, with the added qualifications of exceptional physical fitness.

Rochester Borstal-Intelligent types 18-21 with one or even two previous convictions.

Portland Borstal- Tougher lads similar to lads sent to Camp Hill but aged from 18-21

Nottingham (Sherwood) Borstal - Older lads from 20-23, often lads sent to Borstal at 20 or 21, or lads re-called who had been let out on licence. A very tough regime for older lads having to go back into short-trousers.

An extract from the 'Probation Officers directory'- The aim of Borstal is to give the young offenders whose minds and characters are still plastic a new outlook on life, and a standard of social behaviour and respect for authority which will persist long after release.

To inculcate habits of work and obedience, to develop the lads physique and spirit of fair play, and respect for his elders and authority. Borstal lads will be regulated into good habits, early to bed and early to rise, and to make sure they are well awake, cold-showers. Early morning bowel-training and regulated meal times, taught to respond to the electric-bells that control the daily routine at borstal institutions.

The Borstl Uniform with short trousers was to keep the Borstal lad in his place, and prevent some of the arrogant behaviour associated with the older lad who thought of himself as a man, and one of the main complaints of lads was having to wear short-trousers.

On arrival at a Borstal each lad was given a shower, and issued with a Borstal uniform with short-trousers, some borstals had diffent coloured trousers for new arrivals, and they had to earn the stadard wear.

He was then made to line up for the standard borstal hair-cut, which was a 'very' short-back-and-sides. Each Borstal was devided into houses, with each house having a 'housemaster', these were usually retired ex-Army of Naval instructors used to dealing with rough working-class lads.

Sport which included running, rugger PT and boxing was described as 'arduous and exacting' by the authorities.The public was given the Idea by the press that prisons were full of ex-Borstal lads, they used to have stories of sensational escapes from Borstals. In fact Borstal worked. The following table shows the figures for lads released during three very difficult years, when figures of unemployment, even for men of good character, were very high.

Even in these days of easier employment ect. these figures would be very wellcome, and showed that the Borstal system really did work.

A private publication in 1924 by a retired Borstal Governor Aurthur G. Middleton was sold through adverts in trade magazines.

This small publication was unusual, but many Borstal Governors spoke openly about corporal punishment in books after retirement. Indeed a recently retired Governor of Feltham wrote in a magazine that he thought birching should be brought back.

Borstal was a strange mixture of strict discipline, housemasters, short-trousers, corporal-punishment, rock-breaking, manual labour, handcuffs, leg-irons, and straight jackets. PT boxing and rugger.