89
No. 94
HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF VICTORIA GAOL FOR 1893.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 7th March, 1894.
No. 51.
SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, VICTORIA GAOL,
HONGKONG, 27th January, 1894.
SIR,I have the honour to forward, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, the Annual Report on the Victoria Gaol for 1893.
2. I am glad to be able to report a very considerable decrease in the number of admissions which reached a total of 4,010 as compared with 5,046 in 1892. The daily average number confined in the Gaol was 458 being a satisfactory decrease on previous years. The daily maximum number was 518.
3. There were 5,108 prison offences committed during the year being about 11 offences to each prisoner as compared with 14 in 1892. The attached comparative returns show the most common of those offences.
4. The most serious offences committed during the year were 5 assaults on Officers-1 on the Superintendent and 4 on Turnkeys. The first of these was, I believe, occasioned by the changes made in the routine of the Gaol with a view to improve discipline. One of the assaults on Turnkeys was committed by a prisoner out of revenge, the officer having reported him on the previous day for idleness. The other assaults, as well as that on the Superintendent, were committed close upon each other and at a time when the staff was exceptionally weak.
5. The conduct of the staff during the year has, with some exceptions, been most unsatisfactory.. 2 second class and 15 third class Turnkeys, 2 second class Guards and 2 Nurses of the Female Prison have been dismissed for misconduct and 1 third class Turnkey deserted. I Junior Head Turnkey was reduced to the rank of third class Turnkey and 1 first class Guard to second class Guard.
6. There has been a marked spirit of discontent among the European portion of the staff which has been expressed in some instances in a manner amounting almost to insubordination. I know that some of the officers have committed themselves purposely with a view to being dismissed and I regret that among these are included 2 of the second class Turnkeys who were engaged in England in 1892.
7. The record of casualties further shows that 1 first class, 1 second class and 7 third class Turnkeys and 1 Nurse resigned their appointments, while the services of 3 third class Turnkeys and 1 Nurse were dispensed with being found useless.
8. No less than 31 Turnkeys joined the service during the year, yet on the 31st December there were 3 vacancies in the staff. Of the 17 third class Turnkeys serving on that date 6 of them had an average of less than 4 months service and 9 of them had not completed the probationary period of 3 months.
9. At one period the staff was so far below strength, I was compelled to ask for the services of some Non-Commissioned Officers of the Garrison to act as Turnkeys, The 3 Non-Commissioned Officers, whose services were lent for one month, are not included in the 31 Turnkeys taken on the staff during the year.
10. From the foregoing remarks it will be seen that throughout the year the majority of the staff consisted of inexperienced officers. The dangers which this weakness might give rise to are
obvious.
11. The health of the staff would appear to have been most indifferent. The returns show that 36 European Turnkeys and 10 Indian Guards have been admitted to the Government Civil Hospital once during the year, while 10 of these men have been admitted twice, 6 of them three times and 2 of them four and five times. On one day there were 8 of the staff in hospital.
12. I have stated that there is much discontent among the officers and it follows that they perform their duties in a half-hearted manner, not having any real interest in their work, and all who are not bound by their agreements to remain on in the service look for other employment as soon as possible:
13. The chief causes of their discontent are (1) the number of hours on duty (2) the inadequate pay of the junior ranks (3) the want of a proper mess room and entire absence of any recreation room (4) the frequency with which officers are called upon to perform extra duty. In each respect the officers of the Gaol staff are at a disadvantage as compared with the Police and their discontent is but