278
SCHEDULE NO. 2.
Penal Diet.-Daily Ration for each.
صم
European or White Prisoner.
Chinese or Coloured Prisoner.
Lbs.
Lbe.
Bread Soap
14 0
Rice
Salt Firewood Soap
Additional Rules for the Government of Victoria Gaol.
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2
1. No prisoner shall be allowed outside the gaol-walls until three months of his sentence shall have expired, and no prisoner under a sentence of three months imprisonment, or less, 'shall be allowed outside the gaol walls during his term of imprisonment.
2. During the period above-mentioned, the prisoners shall be put to shot drill, crank, stone-breaking, or other penal labour.
3. For the first ten days in each month, to be continued for six months, each Euro- pean and American prisoner shall be fed on bread and water only, while Chinese for the same period shall be fed on rice and water with a little salt.
4. In the case of all prisoners sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment only, the diet shall be for the whole period of their sentence in accordance with the above regulations.
Approved in Council, (Signed) A. E. KENNEDY, Governor.
September 3, 1872.
Additional Rule, November 16, 1872.
No prisoner on penal diet of bread or rice and water (as the case may be), shall be put to hard labour.
Additional Rule 3 (of the 3rd September, 1872), is to be altered by dividing the period on which a prisoner is to be on penal diet, into five days semi-monthly, instead of ten days continuously.
J. G. AUSTIN.
(Sigued)
279
a morning meal of bubor, as proposed by Dr. Randell, which they recommend should be at once allowed.
(Signed)
W. W. WILLANS, Chairman of the Visiting Justices.
July 6, 1874. I was not in Singapore when the Visiting Justices met on the 26th May, or 1 would have protested with my whole soul against the penal diet, more especially when combined with hard labour. It is impossible that the human body can be sustained only on one article of diet and water; even salt is denied, the deprivation of which in the prisons of Holland was considered as a sentence of death in its cruellest form. If penal diet is con- tinued for a few days, the human body may not suffer directly, but let an epidemic appear and these under such sentence will be the first to suffer most severely. I remember Sir R. Christison informing me some years ago that he was one of a Board to inquire into an attack of scurvy that had broken out in the Perth Penitentiary, and be found it was solely owing to the stoppage of a small quantity of milk that was daily allowed the prisoners.
To the Europeans, butter or milk, if good; the Chinese, lard; to the Malay and Indian, "ghee;" and suet to all ought to be allowed, clse the sentence is not only one of imprisonment but also one of starvation.
The Reports appended by the Medical Officers are of too limited a nature to draw correct conclusions, especially if such conclusions are against all science and all experience.
The time that each prisoner was under penal diet ought also to be stated.
(Signed) R. LITTLE, M.D.
I quite agree with Mr. Waller that if the present diet do not injure the prisoners' health, I do not see the necessity of any alteration. The prisoners must feel the weight of their crime, otherwise there will be no check for others to behave themselves.
Singapore, July 8, 1874.
(Signed)
JOSE D'ALMEIDA, Visiting Justice.
Sir,
Inclosure 3 in No. 59.
Singapore, December 7, 1874.
HAVING to-day received back the papers on penal diet circulated some months ago, I now beg to return them as requested.
I have to regret the delay which has occurred in their being returned to me from circulation amongst the Visiting Justices.
I have, &c.
(Signed) THOS. SCOTT, Chairman of the Visiting Justices.
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary,
Straits Settlements.
Sir,
Inclosure 4 in No. 59.
Office of Principal Medical Officer, Straits Settlements, Singapore, March 10, 1875,
WITH reference to letter dated 19th December, 1874, on the subject of penal diet in the prisons in the Colony, I have the honour to forward the accompanying Report
and Returns called for from Colonial Surgeon Hampshire, with tables setting forth the several experiments which have been made, and their results.
I think these fully bear out the opinion that I have previously expressed on this subject, that the penal diet does not in any way act prejudicially on the health of those subjected to it.
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary,
Straits Settlements.
I am, &c.
(Signed) H. L. RANDELL, Principal Civil Medical Officer, Straits Settlements.
Sir,
Singapore, May 26, 1874.
I have the honour to own receipt of your letters of the 8th and 16th ultimo and inclosures, also a Minute of his Excellency of 11th instant.
Having circulated these papers for the consideration of the Visiting Justices, I convened a meeting of that body at the Criminal Prison this afternoon, with a view to discuss the several questions on the spot. The meeting was well attended, and it was unanimously agreed :—
That the present diet table appeared well suited to the prisoners with the addition of
Criminal Prison, Singapore.—Report on the Penal Diet.
This Report is only in reference to native prisoners.
The penal diet for European prisoners not having been enforced since 16th of May, no statistics are available.
The penal diet system was introduced into the criminal prison, Singapore, in the month of February, 1873, at the same time prisoners were subjected to various innovations in discipline, diet, and other circumstances.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
11TIC.O.885
3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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