103
Prisoners.-The number of prisoners received at Mahaica in 1873 was 495, and at Fellowship 674; of those committed to Mahaica 46 had been convicted once before,
4 twice before, and 15 thrice and oftener; while of those sent to Fellowship, 63 had been convicted once before, 36 twice before, and 4 thrice and oftener.
All the prisoners were committed for terms varying from 7 days to 2 months, and chiefly in default of payment of the fines imposed upon them.
Native Countries and Offences of Prisoners. The prisoners committed to the district prisons were chiefly natives of India and a few Chinese; and their offences were principally idleness, and desertion from the estates to which they are indentured.
Employment of Prisoners.-The prisoners at Mahaica and Fellowship are exclusively employed at field work on estates near the prisons, which pay the Colony at the rate of 24 cents per task for every task performed by a prisoner. I believe it will be found that on an average each prisoner does not perform more than half a task a-day; but it must be recollected that nearly all of them have been convicted for not working at all, or at least very little, on the estates to which they have been indentured, yet these prisons, according to the Auditor-General's accounts, are, I understand, nearly self- supporting.
Escapes. In 1873 there were 13 escapes from the field at Mahaica and 16 at Fellowship. The remarks with reference to the escapes of prisoners sent out from the Georgetown Gaol apply to prisoners at the District Prisons, who are sometimes placed at work in high canes where not more than two or three men can be kept in sight at once by the overseer.
Sanitary State of the District Prisons.-In 1873, 34 prisoners were treated in hos- pital at Mahaica, and 29 at Fellowship; only one death occurred at the latter, and none at the former prison.
Punishments. At Malaica, 10 prisoners, and at Fellowship 32, were punished in the stocks, and by shot drill, for persistent idleness.
I believe the system adopted at the District Prisons is admitted to work satisfactorily; before its introduction there was great difficulty in getting anything like a fair day's work from an idle immigrant.
Reduced food and solitary confinement only made him less physically capable of performing a day's task; now he remains in Gaol until he has completed a certain num. ber of tasks irrespective of the time he may take in doing so. For instance, a man sentenced to 14 days' hard labour, remains until he has performed 14 tasks, whether he takes only 7, or 14, or even 28 days to complete them.
J. BRUMELL, Sheriff of Demerara.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
The Honourable E. N. Walker, Government Secretary.
(128)
and smallest Number of Prisoners in Gaol in any one day of the year 1873, also the Number of Deaths and Punishments inflicted during the above year.
(Return A.)-SHOWING the Number of Prisoners committed to Her Majesty's Gaol, Georgetown, their Native Countries and Offences, the greatest
109
Total.
563
..
392
..
Breaches of
Breaches of
Countries.
the Labour
Laws.
of the Peace,
including
Assaults.
Indecent and
Abusive
Language.
Petty
Thefts.
Breaches
of the
Revenue.
Merchant
Shipping
Act.
Other offences
under
Summary Commitments.
Civil
Process.
Mutiny
and
For Trial.
Total.
Supreme
Inferior
Court.
Court.
"W
F.
M.
F.
F.
Males.
M. F.
M.
Calentta
Mndrus
China
British Guiana
Africa
Barbados
West Indies and other
Males.
59.5
267
256
123
1
..
12
18
..
1
M.
94 1,294
304 F.
M.
18
I
142
19
1
400
200
1
263
1,110
353
425
I
..
..
I
28
215
110
53
!.
108
150
568
195
39
Islands
18
9
15 |
6
Madeira
America
Europe
; I
2
2
.N
..
31
૪
..
17
•
4
5
•
4
..
2
..
..
..
35
1
13
16
2
7622
..
..
Total..
693
2801,002
340 239
177
862
56
15
I
652
39
17
3,570
894 233 13
52
Greatest number in any une day of the year, 19th November, 1873
Smallest
"
24th February, 1873
2 F
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
C.O.885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO