The population in debtors prisons and workhouses in 1839 was about 92,000. The population of the debtors� prisons is hard to get an accurate number on. Also, other petty criminals were thrown into the same prisons as the debtors. These prisons had appalling conditions. All prisoners were thrown together no matter what the age, sex or crime that they had committed. It wasn�t until after several reforms acts were passed later in the 19^th century that prison life began to improve. Also many debtors were not thrown into prison but sent to local workhouses. These were run by the local parish and local government and provide almost slave labor to factories and farms. But, as the government had almost 500,000 men in uniform by the middle of the century and the wage was one shilling a day and even many children working in factories could earn up to 2 shillings a day, proves that the members of the armed forces were not from the able bodied classes.