HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF VICTORIA GAOL FOR 1887.
Presented to the Legislative Council, by Command of
His Excellency the Governor.
No.
6
88.
No. 22.
COLONIAL SECRETARY,
GAOL SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 24th January, 1888.
I beg to forward herewith Annual Statistical Return of Victoria Gaol for the year 1887. 2. As I was absent from the Colony for nine months of the year, it seems to me proper to limit as much as possible any observations on last year's work, and it will be more satisfactory to annex. hereto, copy of an interim report submitted by Mr. MITCHELL-INNES, who acted for me during my absence and to attach here to the same Returns A., B., C., D., and E. for 1887 as were submitted by me in the previous year; to the first four of which are annexed for the sake of comparison similar Returns of the three previous years.
3. There is only one change to report during the past year. A reduction in the Prison diet, re- commended by the Gaol Commission Report of 1st June, 1886, was introduced in the beginning of the year with the sanction of the Home Government. This change was followed as had been anti- cipated by an attempt at mutiny on the part of the prisoners which was promptly suppressed by the energetic action of Mr. JONES, Chief Warden, and of Mr. MITCHELL-INNES to whom as superintendent summary powers of Corporal punishment had been restored with a special view to this contingency.
4. Although the average number of prisoners during the year has been less than in the previous year, it will be observed that the number of offences has largely increased. This is chiefly owing to increased stringency in the reporting and punishing the offence of talking, an offence which will be greatly diminished as soon as the separate system is introduced.
5. In the matter of industrial work there is a considerable diminution of profits as compared with the previous year. This is chiefly owing to want of storage room which necessitated in January last the sale by auction of all the oakum and rattan manufactures at a heavy loss.
6. As regards Prison Buildings I think I need hardly add a word to my previous report. I despair of establishing a really satisfactory deterrent and reformatory prison discipline until the sepa- rate system is introduced.
7. There is however one grain of comfort. There seems some evidence that increased prison dis- cipline and reductions in diet have caused habitual criminals to make the discovery that Victoria Gaol is no longer quite such a comfortable residence of ease and repose which it was supposed to be, and that prisoners who have had later experience of Gaol seem more disposed to avoid it. If we examine Return D. we find that on the 31st December, 1885, 35 per cent. of the prisoners in Gaol were old offenders, on 31st December, 1886, this number was reduced to 32 per cent., while on the same date in 1887 the percentage of old offenders was only 24.
8. There is one point already referred to by Mr. MITCHELL-INNES in his report which I would urgently press on the consideration of Government. The subordinate officers of the Gaol are very hard worked (12 hours duty in the 24) and very poorly paid, the lowest rank only getting $25 per month which compares very poorly with European Police or Dock Yard Police the lowest rank of which receive $40 a month. This presses very hardly especially on the married man who cannot get a room near the Gaol under $8 or $9 a month. The result is that subordinate officers of the Gaol are constantly on the look-out for other employment. There is a continual change of subordinate officials and consequently there is always a large number of officials imperfectly instructed in and still learning their duties to the detriment of discipline and order. I consider a revision of the scale of remuneration of subordinate officers is very urgent.
A. GORDON,
Superintendent.