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copies of certain rules and regulations in force in the General Penitentiary and other printed orders which have been issued from time to time.
We have, &c. (Signed)
HENRY DRAKE. A. H. ALEXANDER. R. B. LLEWELYN.
APPENDIX.
Short Description of all the District Prisons, Short-Term Prisons, County Gaols, and the Reformatory.
1. Middlesex and Surrey County Gaol.
2. Hanover District Prison at Lucca.
3. St Mary's District Prison.
4. Mandeville District Prison.
6. Saint Catherine District Prison.
7. Morant Bay Short-Term Prison.
8. St. Ann's Bay Short-Term Prison.
9. Port Autonio Short-Term Prison.
10. Montego Bay Short-Term Prison.
11. Black River Short-Term Prison. 12. The Reformatory.
walls.
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6. Falmouth District Prison and ('ornwall County Gaol.
1. Middlesex and Surrey County Gaol.
This prison is large and airy, situated in the middle of Spanish Town, surrounded by high brick
The following classes of prisoners are confined here:-
1. Prisoners under sentence to hard labour.
2. Misdemeanants without hard labour.
3. Debtors.
4. Prisoners committed for trial at Circuit and District Court.
5. Prisoners sentenced to death in the counties of Middlesex and Surrey.
The untried prisoners and the misdemeanants use the same yard, but have different sleeping wards. The hard labour prisoners are kept in a separate yard, and it is in this part of the building that the prisoners from the St. Catherine District Prison are given sleeping accominodation when the latter is overcrowded.
There are three cells for condemned prisoners, with a separate yard in which they are exercised daily.
Debtors have a separate yard and sleep in wards; each ward is capable of holding six prisoners. The ventilation, drainage, and water-supply are good
Misdemeanants sleep on cots.
Debtors find their own beds. The other prisoners are provided with guard beds
The Superintendent receives 1207, the matron 30%., the turnkey 304, and three other officers 251. each per annum. All are provided with quarters, wood, water, and medical attendance, which in the more crowded prisous is not always possible.
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All the prisoners have the option of providing their own food and clothing; if not, they are fed us the hard-labour prisoners with the diet from the district prison.
2, Hanover District Prison at Lucca.
This prison stands just outside the town of Lucea, on a promontory running out into the sea. The situation is perfectly open on all sides, and apparently very healthy. It is built on a coral limestone formation; the drainage is good. The prison is surrounded by a brick wall two feet thick and fifteen feet high; the interior walls are of stone two feet thick and ten feet high. The partition walls between the wards and cells are of stone. The roofs are all shingled with cedar, except one kitchen, which is alated, and another kitchen and wash-house, which are covorel with galvanized iron sheeting. The buildings are in good order and the prison is fairly clean. On the male side of the prison there are three large wards, each containing 2,700 cubic feet, and two solitary cells of 441 cubic feet. On the female side there are three wards, two containing 1,515 cubic feat, and the other 1,147. There are also two cells, containing 540 cubic feet. There is a separate yard for each side, and no communication can take place between the male and feinale prisoners. Alterations are being made which will give another yard for the use of unconvicted male prisoners.
The yard for convicted male prisoners contains 383 square yards; that for unconvicted prisoners 303; and the female yard, 273. It appears that about fourteen prisoners are locked up in each of the
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malo wards every night, which would give only 192 cubic feet to each prisoner. The accommodation on the female side under the present system is ample, the greatest number of females in this prison at any time during the last five years having been only twelve.
The earth system is in use throughout the prison and well carried out. There are no urinals, The water supply is derived from a well just outside the prison walls, which rarely fails, and in case of failure from the barracks which adjoin the prison. The quality is very good and the quantity ample. The amount of ventilation and window space will appear from the annexed Return, but it should be observed that the ventilators have slides which the prisoners can shut or open at their pleasure, and in practico they keep them shut, thus destroying the ventilation.
The temperature of the prison has not been registered. The prison, with the exception of the female side, is patrolled once an hour, the sub-officers taking turns of two hours each. They examine the doors and look into the wards through the windows, but do not go into them. They carry lanterns, except on moonlight nights. No other lights are burnt except in the Superintendent's quarters and the bospital. There are no baths or lavatories in the prison; the male prisoners bathe every day in the sea, the females in tubs inside the prison three times a week, and sometimes in the sea.
Separation is not enforced Judgment debtors and prisoners not committed to hard labour have a ward to themselves, but share the common yard. Unconvicted prisoners also sleep in a separate ward, and will shortly have a separate yard Silence is enforced among the prisoners committed to hard labour. Shot-drill is carried out in the prison; the shot are 24 lbs. in weight; there is no crank or wheel. During the intervals of shot-drill the prisoners break stones for lime burning. The prisoners also work on the main and parochial roads, clean the streets of the town, and dig marl. Till recently they were hired out to private persons to work in the cane pieces, but this practice is now put a stop to. The women are employed in washing and breaking stones. The wards are furnished with plat- form or guard-room beds.
The male and female prisoners are effectually separated by a wall ten feet high, and never see each other except in chapel. They are attended by warders of their own sexes: There are four sub-officers in the male side of the prison, three taskmasters, and one turnkey. The head taskmaster receives 251. per annum; the others 207. each, besides quarters and medical attendance. There is a matron who receives ds. a-week and similar perquisites. They all reside within the walls.
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During the years 1868 to 1872, both inclusive, sixteen prisoners have escaped Of these four escaped from the inside of the prison, the remainder from the gangs outside. Of these prisoners twelve were recaptured; one died before recapture, and three are still at large.
Only one prisoner has been flogged in this prison during the last five years, and that by sentence of a Court of Justice on a second conviction for larceny.
The number of prisoners put in irons during the last five years was respectively, 17, 10, 12, 18, and 16, and of those sentenced to solitary confinement-20, 12, 14, 27, and 25. In only two of these cases the sentence exceeded twenty-four hours. The other two prisoners were sentenced to one month each for striking an officer. During the last five years eight prisoners died from natural causes and two were executed.
The most prevalent diseases were fever of a mild type, rheumatism, venereal diseases, and diarrhea.
No prisoner has become insane within the gaol; one attempt at suicide was made, but was discovered and frustrated. Coroners' inquests have been held in all cases of death within the walls
There is a room used for an hospital on the male side containing 2,969 cubic feet, which the surgeon considers sufficient for the purpose, though it contains only three beds. There is also a small room used for bad cases on the female side, though in general a spare ward is available. There are no regular nurses; the matron assists in nursing at the malo hospital when called on, and one of the prisoners is appointed hospital orderly.
The books kept are noted in the Return attached.
We may observe that there is public land adjoining this prison sufficient to allow any enlarge- ment which may be necessary to carry out the separate system
3. St. Mary's District Prison.
This prison is situated on a small rise of ground near the town of Port Maria, and is bounded on the seaside by the Court House, which entirely excludes the sea breeze. On the other side a hill rises abruptly, so the building is very hot and confined.
There are six cells and four associated wards. The cells contain 325 cubic feet each, and the wards 4,074 cubic feet. The cells are under the Court House on the ground floor, and the associated wards are under the constabulary barracks.
The area of the male prisoners' yard is only 2,124 square feet, and for want of accommodation inside the prisoners are obliged to be worked outside the gate in breaking stones and beating coir. Shot-drill is the only labour done inside the walla
In rainy weather the men are kept in the cells and wards all day, as they cannot be taken out to work. There is no space in the yard to erect a shed
The buildings now used as a prison are underneath the Court House and the Constabulary Station, and it would be impossible to make any improvements on its present site. The Court House is some- times lent for concerts and meetings, and the noise of music immediately over the prisoners' heads is anything but desirable to prison discipline.
The dry-earth system is carried out, but there are no urinals. There are no baths or lavatories, but tubs are provided in the yard. The male prisoners also bathe occasionally in the upper part of a strom which runs just outside the prison.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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