F Hall, facing away from Old Bailey Street, was first built in 1898. It was converted in 1913 into a printing press so that prisoners could learn to work in prison and acquire practical skills. Later F Hall was demolished. In 1929, a two-storey building was built at the same site; the ground floor housed a printing press and the upper floor a weaving mill.
During WWII, F Hall was damaged by gunfire. In 1948 F Hall was rebuilt and accommodated Noronha & Co., which was responsible for printing Government publications. Noronha & Co. later became the Government Printer, which moved out in 1956. Later, the upper level of F Hall was repurposed into a large prison cell and the lower level housed offices, the reception room, detention rooms and visiting rooms. A standalone building also sat beside F Hall: the office of the Superintendent of Correctional Affairs.
The large prison cell was divided into 6 compartments using wire fence. Each compartment housed over a dozen double-layer bunk beds and accommodated some 22 to 28 inmates. A total of 148 inmates were held here. Without walls, all activities in the cell were visible to all. Outside the wire fence is a workshop where multiple tables and chairs are placed. Compared to old style prison cells F Hall is more spacious with better ventilation and natural lighting. Before the prison closed, F Hall held women inmates who were either illegal immigrants or have violated their conditions of stay.
