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Questions.
V. How are the prisoners classified ?
VI. Is penal labour-that is, labour by treadmill, crank, or shot-drill-in force ?
VII. If so, during what periods of imprisonment, in respect of what classes of prisoners, and during how many hours, is such penal labour enforced? In stating hours of treadwheel labour, give, first, the total time on and off at the wheel, &c.; secondly, the length of spells and intervals of rest,
VIII. What kind of labour, other than penal labour, is in use?
IX. If the prisoners are employed beyond the walls of the Gaol state-
1. On what kind of work they are so employed?
2. How are they supervised?
3. How many escapes of prisoners, while being employed beyond the Gaol, have taken place during each of the last three years?
4. How the profits of their labour are accounted for?
X. What was the total annual cost of the Prison during the year 1873?
XI. What was the annual amount of the prisoners' earnings during 1873?
•he dor- atrolled
XII. What are the number of the hours allotted for sleep? And, if sleep is in association, mitories lighted; and how often are during the night?
XIII. What were the number and nature of the punishments inflicted for offences committed by pri- soners undergoing imprisonment?
XIV. Is there, or are there, any Chaplain or Chaplains of any, and what, religious persuusions?
XV. Are religious services regularly, or otherwiso, performed for the benefit of the prisoners of nay, and if any, what religious persuasion?
Answers.
According to the nature of their sentences, their nationality, and occasionally according to their habits and temporament, as follows, viz.:-
Europeans, Indians and Chinese. Debtors,
Misdemeanants,
Penal Servitude,
Prisoners on Remand and for Trial.
All the prisoners of the above classes are separated at night, on the works, and in the yards, as much as possible.
·
There is no tread-mill labour, but shot-drill, crank- labour, stonebreaking and oakum-picking is in force. -None of the prisoners are now employed outside the Gool.
The hours of labour for all prisoners in this Colony throughout the year are from 7 A.M. to 5 PM., the prisoners being allowed one hour for dinner. When penal labour is resorted to, men on the crank have to completo 14,000 turna per day; men at shot-drill 2 hours per day, with stonebreaking alternately throughout the day.
Washing clothes, cleaning the Gnol, carpentering, repairing the Prison, &c., c.
No prisoners are employed outside the Gaol since November last, (1878).
Nil.
; in
In the year 1871, the number of escapes was the year 1872, 0; in the year 1873, 1, who was re- captured within half an hour after his escape.
Nil.
The total annual cost of the Prison during the year 1873, was $28,921.06, (£6,025.4.5.), (as against $41,832.20 or £8,715.1.1 for the previous year), not enlenlating any monies reimbursed for Military and Naval prisoners, tc.
No calculation was made, as the labour is now a9 strictly penal as it can be.
The average number of hours that the prisoners sleep is about 0 in 24 hours.
The dormitories are not lighted with gas, but gas is burning in all passages and corridors. There are Turnkeys on duty in all the passages and corridors throughout the night.
The number of prisoners, punished during the year 1873, was 451; of these 225 received corporal pu- nishment, 100 had part of their food stopped, "17 were ordered to wear double Irons for short periods, and 10 were put in solitary confinement for short periods.
There is no Chaplain attached to the Prison, but the Colonial Chaplain holds service once every week. The Revd. Mr. Lamont, London Church Mission, also holds service once a week, and is assisted by Chinese Clergymen.
Roman Catholic Priests visit, the Prison, and hold service every week, assisted by Chinose Priests.