The Omdehs (village chiefs) numbered 5008 in the country. The following table shows the judicial work they performed in the years 1907 and 1908.

| Item | 1907 | 1908 | |---|---|---| | Number of disputes | 41,346 | 41,346 | | Fines collected in these cases | £1,046 | £1,046 | | Number of civil cases | 1,103 | 1,103 | | Number of cases settled | 78 | 78 | The decrease in the number of civil cases is attributed to the fact that when the villagers learned that the Omdehs had the right to compel them to pay small sums, they began to settle their disputes amongst themselves.

The number of those imprisoned in 1908 was 1103, compared to 78 Omdehs for various crimes. This ratio is not large and testifies to the good conduct of the Omdehs in general.

Prisons (7) The number of those who entered prisons during the year 1907 was 15,445, compared to 16,078 in the previous year. The daily average was 42.3, compared to 43.9 in the previous year. The average mortality rate among prisoners was 1.11%, compared to 1.11% in the previous year.

The total expenses for the prisons, excluding special attention to buildings, amounted to £10,460, compared to £11,651 in the previous year. The cost per prisoner was £0.67, compared to £0.72 in the previous year.

The revenues from prison industries amounted to £1,570 in 1907, compared to £1,570 in the previous year. The expenses for them amounted to £540, compared to £540 in the previous year.

£79,900 was spent in the year on prison buildings. New reformatories were completed, and construction of a second-class prison began in Damanhur. It will be completed in 1909. This prison is on a new foundation and has a capacity of 1000 inmates.