79
No.
4
98
HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF VICTORIA GAOL FOR 1897.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
VICTORIA GAOL, HONGKONG, 31st January, 1898.
SIR-I have the honour to submit for the information of His Excellency the Governor the following report on the Victoria Gaol for the year 1897.
2. Mr. LETHBRIDGE had charge of the Gaol up to the 30th March, when he left the Colony and I assumed charge.
3. The number of prisoners admitted to the Gaol under sentence of the ordinary Courts was 4,711, besides 48 soldiers and sailors sentenced by Courts-Martial.
There were also 54 prisoners imprisoned for debt, and 263 in default of finding security, making a grand total of 5,076; of these 606 were old offenders.
4. The corresponding numbers for last year were:—
Convicted by ordinary Courts, 5,414; by Courts-Martial, 50; Debtors, 63; in default of
security, 55. Total for 1896, 5,582.
5. The daily average number of prisoners confined in the Gaol during the year was 462 as com- pared with 514 in 1896.
I attribute the decrease to the abolition of the Light and Pass regulations, and to the narrowing of the limits within which hawking is permitted in the vicinity of the markets in Victoria.
6. There were 2,619 reports made by the Prison Officers against prisoners for prison offences, compared with 3,887 in 1896, and 5,365 in the year 1895.
7. Discipline has been well maintained, and I am of opinion that the marked decrease is due to greater efficiency of supervision on the part of the Gaol Staff, and to a better appreciation of prison discipline on the part of the prisoners.
The reports during the year were dealt with as follows:---
One hundred and thirty-one cases were dismissed on the report, in the majority of instances,
of the Medical Officer. In 521 cases a caution was given, and
139 were punished with rice and water for 1 day.
254
116
17
""
""
2 days. 3
77
204 with solitary confinement and rice and water for 1 day.
231
263
30
48
+9
"1
""
51
2 days. 3
EI SO LOT
19
"
""
5
**
"
""
17
キラ
80 bread and water for 1 day.
63
29
"
17
")
2 days. 3
22
37 solitary confinement on bread and water for 1 day.
26
31
9
"7
;)
"1
"
"
2 days. 3
23
15
7
"
61 whippings by Superintendent. 13 Prisoners were twice whipped. The actual
number of prisoners whipped was therefore 48.
52 extra crank.
78
17 loss of marks.
shot and stone.
47 separate confinement.
60 to shot and stone.
59 to crank.
33 punishments awarded by the Superintendent and Justice of the Peace of
which 8 were whippings.
Total,...1,967