TU T T T T
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
C.O.885
995
the reform of prison discipline has been carried through with conspicuous ability and zeal by a
Commission comprising the Chief Justice and other highly qualified public officers), the effect of shot drill and hard fare was reported as far back as June, 1868, to be, that a sensible diminution had taken place in the number of habitual criminals; that the fear of shot drill and penal diet was deterring the ill-disposed generally from crime; and that the Judges had felt themselves justified in greatly diminishing the scale of their sentences; and in a letter which we have seen from Sir Edward Creasy to one of our members, he says,-"Our rules are now being enforced throughout the Island. The great features in our system are the shot-drill and penal diet, the classification of long-sentenced prisoners, and the remissability of part of the sentence by means of the inark system. We are doing what we can to The reforms work well, introduce the separate (not the solitary) system.
but grumbles and humanitarian howls about the penal diet are still raised by some who ought to know better. My idea of humanity forbids me to inflict anything like cruelty on a prisoner, but bids me also think of the interests of the honest men upon whom he has lived by plundering."
6. There are three classes of prisoners to be considered in the system here.-
(1.) Prisoners who are confined for being charged with crime, and who are to be kept in safe custody for further examination or for trial; and with these may be grouped debtors and persons committed until they find security as required by law.
(2.) Transmarine convicts from India, Ceylon, and Honkong, who are classified, dieted, employed, and treated entirely on an old Indian system.
(3.) Persons tried and convicted in the Colony itself, and who are undergoing imprison- ment as a punishment.
7: As regards the 1st class, untried and unconvicted prisoners, we have here very little difficulty, and we do not know that we need suggest any alteration in the system, if the Colony is willing to keep up the excellent gaols in the three Settlements known as Her Majesty's Gaols, and under the charge, in each of the three stations, of the Sheriffs. Previous to the transfer, these gaols were considered as under the Courts, and the Sheriff was purely a Court officer, which we presume was the reason that the We are given, however, to understand that prisons were called "Her Majesty's Gaols." these prisons at Penang and Malacca are required for other purposes, and, in that case, provision must be made for keeping such prisoners apart from those who are tried and convicted, since, in their case, while we are required to ensure their safe custody, we are bound to take care that they suffer no unnecessary hardship, that they are properly fed, kept in no unhealthy place, and, above all, that moral contamination is not forced on them by herding them with convicted criminals.
It is perhaps right that we should notice the custom adopted generally of keeping men for further examination, even for serious crimes, in the police cells, till they are finally committed for trial. We think it would be preferable if such persons were, as a general rule, sent to to the custody of the Sheriff.
8. As regards the 2nd class, the Transmarine convicts, we need not say much, since the whole of this Establishment will be broken up in April, 1873. It is, however, utterly impossible for us to express approval of the old system under which they are worked, consisting as they do of persons convicted of every description of heinous crime, and numbering at the time of our inspections,—
223
The 6th class consists of invalids and aged men unfit for work, 50 males and 6 females.
10. These men are housed in what is styled the "Convict Lines," but which are really certain wards within the same gaol as that in which all the local convicted prisoners are confined. They are very well fed, looked after by their own brother convicts, work entirely outside the gaol, and are allowed various indulgences, such as cooking for themselves, smoking, &c.,—a system which is seen by the local prisoners, with whom they have constant means of communication, and it naturally follows that, as long as such is the case, the main object for which a prisoner is detained, punishment for his offence, is lost sight of, and no deterrent or reformatory influence can possibly be brought to bear on him.
11. Had it not been decided that the Establishment would be broken up, and removed in April, 1873, we must have proposed the immediate and total separation of the Transmarine convicts from the local prisoners, at probably a serious expense, but as that period is now drawing on, and no further convicts will be sent here, we think we can hereafter propose a perfectly practicable arrangement for keeping the local convicts free from the baneful influence which must spread over them by contact with the Transmarines under their present system.
12. The rules by which the Transmarines are governed are annexed to this Report, they were probably framed at a time when very lax discipline was actually necessary to keep such large numbers of desperate characters quiet, and we have often heard it žaid that before any serious change was introduced, it would be necessary to double the number of warders, and strengthen the goals.
13. However much we may disapprove of this system as a system of prison discipline, and of punishment to criminals of the worst class, we must admit that the Transmarine convicts have done good service to the Colony, as all our public works, roads, and bridges testify, and we are also prepared to admit that we believe little crime occurs amongst them, and that they are, as a whole, even under this lax system, well behaved, We attribute this, however, to the management of the present Controller, who is one of our Members, and whose valuable letter to Government will be found annexed to this report. Major McNair's views as to the Transmarine system will be found in pages 6 and 7 of the Rules, and though it does not entirely agree with these remarks of the majority of the Committee, we believe he fully does in the principles.
14. The only classes of the Transmarine convicts that we propose to interfere with, are the 4th and 5th, and we recommend that whenever a convict gets into either of these classes, they be at once removed to the local prisoners' quarters, and treated exactly as a newly convicted prisoner. This provision will only be necessary till April, 1873. 15. The 3rd class of prisoners whom we have to deal, are the following * (1.) Persons sentenced by the Supreme Court to transportation or penal servitude. (2.) Persons sentenced by the Supreme Court to terms of imprisonment over six
These may both be termed "long sentenced prisoners."
months.
(3.) Persons sentenced to terms of imprisonment under six months, which we will call "short sentenced prisoners."
(4.) Persons sentenced to pay fines for breaches of the revenue and other laws, and imprisoned for inability to pay the fine."
16. At the time of our inspections there were at Singapore Gaol,
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::::
71
153
270
70
567
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::::
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At Singapore
At Penang
At Malacca
Life Convicus.
Terms of from 7 to 20 Years.
1,327
93
506
85
287
233
2,180
411
9. It will be sufficient for this report to deal with the classes of the 1,420 convicts at this place at the time of our inspection. 438 men and 96 women were on the lat class, and on ticket-of-leave.
There were 351 men in the 2nd class, of whom 74 were entitled to ticket-of-leave by the regulations, and 137 within two years of the ticket-of-leave. These men are all employed as orderlies and petty officers.
In the 3rd class, numbering 428 convicts, there are 131 entitled to their ticket-of- leave, and 129 within two years of it.
In the 4th class, 29 convicts. 5th class, 22 convicts.
1st Class prisoners
2nd
do.
3rd
..
4th
do.
At the Gaol at Penang,-
1st Class prisoners
2nd
do.
3rd
do.
4th
do.
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At Malacca Gaul they were confined,—
1st Class prisoners
2nd
do.
3rd
do.
4th
do.
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ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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66
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260
Nil.
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