But 71 of these cells are solitary, crank or separate cells, containing only one Prisoner each. Each of these 71 cells has upwards of 700 cubic feet of space, some of them nearly double, but counting them only at 700 each and supposing each to be occupied, this would leave 596 Prisoners to occupy rooms whose total cubic space amounts to 89,000 cubic feet or less than 150 cubic feet per man.
I feel assured that, when these facts are taken into consideration by Government, they will recognise the necessity of taking steps to obviate the many dangers of such excessive overcrowding.
It seems to me that either the number of Prisoners must be reduced or additional accommodation must be at once provided.
There are at present 36 men in Gaol for want of Security, and 21 for gambling: these might perhaps be pardoned, but the relief would be very small, and in my opinion the best plan would be to hire another building, or a bulk where all Prisoners sentenced in default of Security, or generally sentenced to 3 months and under could be detained and breathing space thus given to the Prisoners in Victoria Gaol. This would of course necessitate an increased Prison establishment.
In short it is very evident that the Gaol accommodation is not nearly equal to the requirements of the Colony and that even if the building of a new Gaol were at once undertaken other steps would have to be adopted in the meantime to reduce the present state of congestion. Were an epidemic to break out in the Gaol in its present congested state the instant removal of probably half the Prisoners would become necessary. It would probably be very difficult to find immediate accommodation for them elsewhere, it would certainly be dangerous to let a large number of criminals suddenly loose on the civil population.
To some extent the congestion might be saved if Magistrates were authorised to punish certain offences by corporal punishment in lieu of imprisonment.
But I must submit that I think it becomes my duty to ask Government to fix a limit, beyond which number I shall not be compelled to receive Prisoners in Victoria Gaol.
(In 6.5.0.) No. 80.
(Continuation of Enclosure 2.)
A. GORDON,
Superintendent,
Superintendent of Victoria Gaol to Acting Colonial Secretary.
COLONIAL SECRETARY,
GAOL SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 6th April, 1886,
In continuation of my letter, No. 72, of 30th ultimo, I beg to report that I have now received the measurements of the Victoria Gaol cells, recently made, from which it appears that the cubic space of the cells amounts to 203,814 feet, and not 138,948 feet as shewn in previous statistical returns.
The present state of the Gaol is therefore as follows:-
There are to-day 736 male Prisoners in Gaol giving an average of 276 cubic feet for each Prisoner.
Of the 190 cells in Gaol 71 are used as solitary, separate and crank cells; these can accommodate only 71 men.
2 are used as W. C. and store rooms and are unoccupied.
25 are used for European Prisoners and can only accommodate 25 men. These 98 cells only holding 96 Prisoners contain 78,053 cubic feet, leaving 640 Prisoners in associated wards with 125,791 cubic feet or an average of 195 cubic feet per Prisoner.
But it is impossible in accordance with regulations to equally distribute the Prisoners. Prisoners on removal are kept separate from convicted ones; first conviction Prisoners from old offenders, juveniles from grown-up ones. Prisoners with itch have a separate ward, another is set apart for a leprous Prisoner. When therefore the itch or leper cell or juvenile cell containing perhaps 1,200 cubic feet are occupied by only one individual, the available cubic space for other Prisoners becomes correspondingly reduced.
Should the number of Prisoners rise to 800 there would be only an average of 178 cubic feet for each Prisoner in associated wards. Should the number rise to 850 the average would be 166 cubic feet.
A. GORDON,
Superintendent.
No. 474.
SIR,
(A. in Enclosure 2.) Acting Colonial Secretary to Surveyor General,
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 1st April, 1886.
I am directed by the Officer Administering the Government to invite you to act as Chairman of a Board consisting of the Superintendent of the Gaol, the Honourable WM. KESWICK, and yourself for the purpose of reporting on the feasibility of establishing a temporary prison, pending the erection of the proposed new Gaol.
I am to add that His Excellency will be glad to have the opinion of the Board on the cost of a temporary prison, and on any other matter connected therewith, which the Board may consider necessary to include in their report.
The Honourable J. M. PRICE.
Surveyor General.
I have, &c.,
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
(B. in Enclosure 2.)
REPORT.
HONGKONG, 7th April, 1886.
1. The Board constituted under the Honourable Colonial Secretary's letter, No. 474, of the 1st instant, have duly met at Victoria Gaol and taken into consideration the statistics supplied by the Superintendent.
From these statistics it appears that while there are as many as 640 prisoners in the associated cells, the aggregate space of the latter does not amount to more than 125,791 cubic feet or an average of 195 cubic feet per prisoner.
2. On the other hand however, it must be mentioned that in nearly all the cells there are open windows and cross ventilation.
3. Considering the necessary delay which must take place in dealing with the large and important question of extra prison accommodation in connexion with the punishment of crime, the Board are of opinion that pending a settlement of this question the first efforts of Government should be directed to reducing, as far as possible, the number of those inmates of the Gaol that do not belong, properly speaking, to the criminal classes.
4. It was found from the statement of the Superintendent that there were on the 6th instant 16 prisoners for want of finding surety, 39 prisoners for gambling and 12 prisoners for breaches of the Opium Ordinance.
5. Of the first 46 it is not impossible that a large proportion may be men against whose characters nothing can be found, while as to the 39 gamblers it is the opinion of the Board that whatever may be the evils from gambling, they cannot constitute as grave a danger as that which attends the overcrowding of the Gaol.
In respect of the prisoners for breaches of the Opium Ordinance, the Board are aware that it is necessary to assist the Opium Farmer in the protection of his rights, but they consider it might be possible to award other punishments besides imprisonment for infractions of the monopoly.
6. The Board consider therefore that in the present overcrowded condition of the Gaol, it would be desirable to liberate without any delay as many as possible of these three classes of prisoners and that it would be desirable to recommend the Magistrates to refrain, except in the case of known bad characters, from committing persons to prison merely for want of security, also it might be indicated to the Magistrates to punish infractions of the Opium Ordinance by fine, in lieu of by imprisonment, while to the Police, instructions might be given to mitigate, for a time, the severity of their raids on gamblers.
7. The Board further recommend that early arrangements should be made for the permanent transfer of the youthful prisoners in the Gaol to the Reformatory at West Point, and they are also of opinion that imprisonment for debt now abolished in every part of the British Empire except Hongkong, should receive the attention of the Government on various grounds, the least of which would be that it would empty the Debtors' Ward at the Gaol and render the space available for another class of prisoners.