( 171 )
Questions.
XIX. Have Coroner's Inquests been held on every occasion of a death in Prison during the past year, and what were the verdicts?
XX-
1. What was the sanitary state of the Prison during the year 1877 ?
2. What were the prevailing diseases?
XXI. What are shortly the rules as to diet?
Answers.
but a system of branding and deporting commenced in November, 1866, and was carried out upon prisoners without any view to good conduct or character during their stay in Gaol, under which, prisoners who had only served one half of their sentences were treated as "eligible for release"; and in some cases prisoners were released, when the Gaol became full, after serving only one third of their sentences: This continued until May, 1877, when the practice of branding was suspended, (pending the substitution of some other means of identification respecting which the Secretary of State called for a report), and the scale of remission of sentences as approved by the Secretary of State in 1865 reverted to with a slight modification by which all prisoners sentenced to 12 months and upwards with an uninterrupted course of good conduct can obtain a remission of one-third of their sentence.
Seven deaths occurred during the year 1877.__A Coroner's Inquest was held in each case of death. Two of the verdicts from Felo-de-se, they having committed suicide by strangulation; the other five verdicts were recorded as being "from natural causes. Paralysis, General Debility, Diarrhoea, Ancemia, Phthisis, and and Serous Apoplexy being the causes of death.
"
The dry earth conservancy system was not adopted till July, 1877. His Excellency the Governor in a Minute dated 6th June, 1877, pointed out the very defective sanitary arrangements of the Gaol in this respect, and during the latter half of the year dry earth latrines were used.
Fever and Diarrhoea.
With the exception of debtors and defendants on remand or committed for trial, all prisoners are fed on penal diet of bread (or rice) and water for ten days (ie., five days at a time) in each month for the first six months of their imprisonment.
■
At other times, except when under punishment for Prison offences, the diet of each prisoner is as follows:—
DIETARY FOR EUROPEAN PRISONERS.
BREAKFAST.
צוואני
Bread,
Gruel, Bread,.
.6 oz.
Сосов,
.1 pint
r
Brend,
..4 oz.
Potatoes,
.10 oz.
Meat..........
..0 oz.
FULL DIET.
.6 oz. .1 pint f
Sunday, Tuesday, Thurs- day, and Saturday. Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Soup,
.1 pint
Bread,
..4 oz.
Soup,
.....I piat
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Suet Pudding, ...1 it.
Bread,..... ..4 oz.
Rice, (Common), 8 oz.
Fish,
Sunday,
12 oz.
Curry Stuff,
74drs.) .6 oz.
Daily.
BUTTER
Bread..............
It is understood these measures are for uncooked provisions, except in the case of made up articles of diet; and meat is understood to be without bone.