The archives of the Howard League for Penal Reform include a series of notebooks from the late 19th and early 20th century, which were used by members of the League to report on visits to prisons and police offices and record interviews with officials and reformers. These two extracts are from one of the notebooks of William Tallack, Secretary of the Howard Association between 1866-1901, and summarise his discussions with Liverpool police officers about the issue of prostitution in the city.

The notes (which can be difficult to read) record the opinions of Mr Leonard Dunning, Assistant Head Constable:

"Prostitution checked - as to outward groups of brothels broken up - Illegal now for several women or a woman and a man to keep a brothel - But one woman may do so"

"Formerly groups would combine to rob men and then personate one another to confuse police and prosecution"

"Prostitutes now live in suburbs across Mersey and have season tickets to ply occupation and return"

"Indecent assaults and unnatural crime have increased with diminution"