26
and is surrounded by a substantial wall, the lower part being of stone and the upper part of brick. The partitions are of brick; the roof of cedar shingles. The general condition of the buildings is good, although some of the walls are old and require repairs. The drainage is very good; there is no etagnation whatever within the prison. All the drains can be flushed with salt water when necessary, The earth-closet system is in use and works well.
The water supply is obtained from the Falmouth Water Company, and is always plentiful and good.
There is a bath in the Cornwall County Goal which is used for prisoners confined there. The prisoners in the district prison are bathed in the sea twice a week; on the other days they use tubs in the wards. The females always bathe in tuba.
The ventilation in the wards is reported as sufficient, but that in the cells has been recommended to be increased to double the present size.
There are no lights in any of the wards at night. Every half hour the prison is patrolled. On dark nights the patrol carry a lantern; the patrol never enters the wards.
The separate system is not in force in this prison. The prisoners are locked up in associated wards at night, and work together in the day time.
There is no communication whatever between the unconvicted and convicted prisoners. The former are kept in the portion of the prison called the County Gaol.
Prisoners under sentence, who have not been previously convicted, are kept separate at night from old offenders.
The separation system conld not be carried out here without increasing the area of the prison, and there is sufficient land available for this adjoining the prison.
Solitary confinement is enforced for breaches of prison discipline.
The prisoners keep in repair ten miles of main road around Falmouth, for which the amount of 150%. is credited to the prison.
The prisoners also clean and repair the streets of Falmouth, but receive no remuneration for this labour. This is done under Government orders.
The prisoners have also filled up a good deal of the morass near the prison; they have reclaimed 30,000 square feet of land. This has improved the health of the prison very much. The prisoners also beat coir and break stones.
Shot-drill is carried out here very perfectly, and seems to have been attended with good results, as far as the deterrent effects are concerned. There is no crank or treadmill in this Institution.
The warders, in addition to their pay, are provided with quarters and medical attendance. Two jackets and two pairs of boots are also issued to them every year.
There is a gaol chapel, but the ministers of the various denominations seldom visit. The island curate has not visited since the disestablishment of the Church The Superintendent reads the Lord's Prayer every morning, and the morning prayers on Sundays.
There is a good and sufficient hospital accommodation on the male side of the prison, and also on the female side. The ventilation is sufficient. The medical officer attends daily.
There has been the following number of deaths during the last five years :—
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
6
2
...
5
..
***
1 1
Coroners' inquests are generally held-only in cases of sudden death, or in the event of a prisoner dying without having been seen by the medical officer.
There have been eleven escapes during the last five years. Nine from the District Prison, and two from the County Gaol. Those from the District Prison all escaped when working outside on the roads. We would suggest that the books of those two prisons should be kept entirely separate, and that the annual statistical Returns should be shown separately in the Blue Book, in the same way as those for the Middlesex and Surrey County Gaol.
7. Morant Bay Short-Term Prison.
This prison is situated about half a mile from the town of Morant Bay. The whole locality has the reputation of being unhealthy, and the prison is close to a lagoon, nod within about thirty yards of the Bamboo river, which runs very sluggishly. The walls are of brick on a stone foundation; the partitions between the cells are also of brick. The roofs are shingled. The buildings generally are in good repair, but some of the cells are insecure and require alteration, as a prisoner can wrench the bricks from the top of the cell wall, and get from there into the outer wall and drop down outside. Several escapes have been effected in this manner. There are guard beds in each cell, and every prisoner is supplied with a rug. There is a munin drain running from the prison to the river with a good fall, as the buildings stand on elevated ground. The prison is divided into four yards, one for prisoners sentenced to hard labour, containing seven cells; one for untried prisoners, containing five cells; one for the fernale side, containing four cells; and one which is called the debtors' side, con- taining also four colla There is an hospital on-the unde side, two cells having been turnel into one for the purpose. This is very well ventilates. The females when sick are treated in a separate coll. There is a latrine in each yard, and the earth-closet system is carried out in both; the surgeon states that they are not at all offensive. There is no urinal.”
The water supply is usually obtained from a well in the yard; the quality is good and the quantity sufficient. The pump by which this water is raised has, however, been out of repair for some time, and
27
water is now procured from the Johnson river, from which the inhabitants of the town draw their supply. We are unable to ascertain the average temperature of the prison, but it is excessively hot on account of the small size of the yards, which are little more than passages. There are gratings in the outside walls to admit air, and floor-ventilation has recently been adopted in all the cells; still they are very hot with an intense glare, and, in the opinion of the surgeon, unfit for the confinement of European prisoners, who are occasionally sent there from the ships in the harbour. It would be desirable to extend the area of the yards, and this might the more casily be done as there is land adjoining the prison which belongs to the public. There are no baths or lavatories, and the arrange- ments for washing are the same as in the other district and short-term prisons.
Separation is not carried out, though in this prison it would be generally possible to effect it. Prisoners convicted for the first time are kept separate from old offenders at nights, but work in the same yard during the day.
There is a light kept both in the hard-labour and female yards during the night, but the cells are not lighted. The prison seems imperfectly patrolled, as no one goes round after 1 or 2 o'clock. Perhaps this is not to be wondered at-there are only the Superintendent and one officer to perform both day and night duty. The labour performed by the male prisoners is breaking stones and beating coir; the females wash for the prison, or beat coir and break stones.
Shot-drill has not been introduced. There is no communication between male and female prisoners, who are both attended by officers of their own sex.
The prison officers consist of the Superintendent, who receives 721. per annum; a taskmaster and & matron, who receive 121.; they all reside within the walls The Superintendent now lives on the female side, as his proper quarters, which form the front of the prison, have been appropriated as a parish almshouse. No prisoner has been flogged during the last five years.
Escapes have taken place owing to the insecurity of the cells before mentioned. If a strong iron grating were fixed on the top of the walls of the cells instead of the present open brickwork this might be prevented.
Dysentery, intermittent fever, and catarrh are most prevalent diseases.
No provision is made for the instruction of the prisoners.
We may observe that the rule of giving information to the constabulary of the discharge of a prisoner has never been carried out here.
8. St. Ann's Bay Short-Term Prison.
7
This prison is situated on the beach, half a mile from the town, the outer walls being waslied by the sea on the north side.
There are four wards built of stone, but no hospital The buildings are very cramped, and divided
by high partitions. The ventilation is good owing to its situation on the bench
The prison was reopened on the 1st of March, 1872, and has never had more than twelve males
and six females in it at any one time. The day the Commissioners visited it there were two males and one' female confined there. Very little labour is performed, and this is limited to breaking stones and picking coir.
The water is good, obtained from a well outside. The prisoners bathe in the sea overy morning. We think that this prison might be altered at no great expense, to enable the term of imprison- ment to be extended to three months, as is recommended by us for all the short-term prisons. The yand might also be extended and a building erected for the reception of unconvicted prisoners waiting trial at the Circuit and District Courts.
The wards are not patrolled at night. There is no light in the wards, but a lamp is kept burning at the gate all night. The Superintendent goes to bed at 9, after going round to see that everything is
The staff consists of a Superintendent, a taskmaster, and a matron
correct.
9. Port Antonio Short-Term Prison.
This prison is situate in the main street of Port Antonio. It was for some time closed, and was reopened as a short-term prison on the 1st of November, 1872.
The walls and partitions between the cells are of stone; the roofs are of white cedar shingles. The buildings are in good order, except the cells, but one part of the wall requires to be added to, to prevent escapes.
There are
There are three associated wards on the male side, and one on the female. Besides these there is a ward used as a guard room by the constabulary, and another used as a store roomi. nine cells 7 feet by 4 feet, and about 8 feet high, some of which are used by the constabulary for lock-ups when required.
The ventilation, both of the wards and cells, especially the latter, requires improvement, particu larly as the prison is surrounded by the Court House and other buildings which intercept the breeze. We have no means of ascertaining the average temperature as there is no thermometer. There are male and female yards properly separated.
A most objectionable feature in the arrangements of this prison is that the constables' barracks are situated in the prison yard over the cells, and the constablos cannot go in or out of their quarters, or to their Intrine, without going through the yard. Moreover, the prison gate has to be left open to enable the constabulary to go in and out, and although a sentry is kept there this is very objectionable.
The officers' quarters are next those of the constabulary, and their servants and persons corning to see the constables must also necessarily pass through the yard. The constabulary have no yard of their own, and their quarters are cramped and unhealthy. They ought to be at once removed.
The drainage seems sufficient. There are two latrines in the inale yard and one in the female,
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TUTUIT
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