66
4. Some delay has occurred in completing certain returns I have called for but meanwhile the following figures will show the extent to which flogging is used as a prison punishment in Barbados,
Number of floggings for prison offences for the years 1870 to 1874, inclusive r
1870.
1871. 1872.
1873.
1874.
Glendairy Town Hall
8
17
8
8
24
12
36
35
30
District A
"
B C D
5
2
6
1
10
6
9
4
ง
Total
40
31
67
48
+53
ଖୁ ୯୯ |-
This shows in the Barbados prisons an average of forty-seven floggings every year. 5. In Jamaica the amount of flogging for prison offences is much smaller. Number of floggings in all the Jamaica prisons, from 1870 to 1874 inclusive:-
Jamaica
1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874.
2
6
+
5
9
This shows an annual average of about five prisoners, flogged for prison offences. 6. Comparing the number of the prison population of Barbados and of Jamaica, and assuming that the admirable system of prison discipline in the latter requires the normal proportion of floggings only, it seems to follow that the floggings in the prisons of Barbados are more than twenty times greater than they ought to be.
7. Again, comparing Barbados with British Guiana, I find, on referring to the only Blue Book of the latter Colony which I possess, that of the year 1872, there was but one flogging for prison offences in British Guiana, whereas the annual average for the past five years in Barbados has been forty-seven.
8. As far as I have been able to ascertain the flogging in Barbados for the year 1875 has been as bad, and in some respects worse, than in previous years.
9. There are other indications also of a defective prison discipline, to which, when I have advanced further in my inquiries, I shall venture to draw your Lord- ship's attention. At present I am inclined to think that neither the prison officials nor the visiting justices are free from blame. Some of the latter have assured me that they have no belief in the deterrent character of any prison punishment except the lash, and they seem resolved to use it freely.
10. The confident expectation expressed by Lord Kimberley, in despatch No. 46 of the 29th of August, 1873, to Sir R. W. Rawson, "that the necessity for resorting to this punishment is not likely to continue in Barbados," has certainly not been fulfilled.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. POPE HENNESSY.
No. 11.
Governor Hennessy, C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.—(Received December 30.)
(No. 166. Barbados.) My Lord,
Barbados, December 10, 1875.
IN continuing my inquiries into the causes of the lamentable state of prison. discipline in Barbados, my attention has been drawn to the case of Henry Hurdle, a prisoner, who died in the Town Hall Gaol on the 26th July, 1875, when, upon the inquest being held, the Coroner's Jury returned the following verdict :—
That on the 26th day of July, in the year abovesaid, the said Henry Hurdle came to his death from pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs; but the jury aforesaid are further of opinion that the death of deceased was accelerated by the absence of medical treatment and suitable nourishment."
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2. On seeing that verdict, Mr. Freeling very properly appointed a Commission to inquire into the case; but as he does not appear to have written to your Lordship on the subject, I now inclose the Report of the Commissioners, the explanation of the Medical Officer, and Mr. Freeling's minute thereon.
3. At the head of the Commission was Dr. Sealy, a gentleman eminently fitted to deal with such an inquiry.
4. With the evidence laid before them, the Commissioners appear to have arrived at a proper report: an important piece of evidence, however, was not submitted to them, the punishment books of the prison.
5. Had they examined these books, they would have seen that, from January, 1875, to July, 1875 (the month he died), six summary punishments had been inflicted upon Hurdle by the authority of the keeper of the prison; that these six punishments by authority of the keeper were not in accordance with the printed rules of the prison; that the irregularity had not been noticed by the Visiting Justice, who, under the prison rules, was bound to examine the books and inquire into any irregularity of the kind; and that with respect to the punishment on the 11th of June, when, by authority of the keeper, Hurdle was put on half. rations for three days, for being very idle at stone-breaking, there was no written approval of the surgeon recorded, as required by the rules.
6. I inclose, for your Lordship's information, an extract from the Punishment Books of the prisons from January to July 1875.
7. Comparing that with the Report of the Commissioners, and with the 3rd para- graph of Mr. Freeling's Memorandum, your Lordship will see that by the "authority of the keeper" Hurdle was punished four times while on the sick/list, and that he was subjected to the half-ration punishment the very month he died; his death, according to the opinion of the Coroner's jury and of the Commissioners, being accelerated by want of suitable nourishment. On the 29th of July Dr. Clarke also recorded his opinion that Hurdle died from "inflammation of lungs, accelerated by want of food,"
8. Your Lordship will see from the printed rules* 1 inclose that, in the common gaol of Bridgetown,-the Town Hall Gaol-the keeper has no authority to impose the punishments in question, which can only be lawfully imposed by the authority of the Provost Marshal.
9. Similar, and, indeed, graver cases have come under my notice at Glendairy. 10. On visiting Glendairy Prison on the 24th ultimo, and asking Mr. Price, the keeper, for an explanation of a noise in one of the cells, he told me it was a prisoner named Callender, who was in irons; that he was (in Mr. Price's opinion) shamming madness, and was under the medical officer's observation, who also thought that the madness was feigned. Having sent for the Medical Report Book, and noticing that the prisoner in question had been under treatment since September, I directed the Colonial Secretary to nominate a Board of two doctors and two Magistrates, to report on the
case.
11. Accordingly, Dr. Manning and Dr. Bowen, a visiting physician and the Acting Resident Surgeon of the General Hospital, together with the Inspector-General of Police, Colonel Clements, and Mr. Evelyn, proceeded to Glendairy and investigated the case. They reported, on the 8th instant, that Callender was not shamming; that he was an undoubted lunatic; and he has been removed to the Lunatic Asylum under the Magis trates' order.
12. In this case I find that the prisoner had been punished by Mr. Price's authority fourteen times this year; and that, with respect to three of those punishments, seven days' separate confinement on half rations (27th March, 1875), three days' separate confine- ment (22nd May, 1875), and four days' separate confinement on half rations (24th August, 1875); the rule of the prison, which prescribes that the written approval of the surgeon should be recorded, was not obeyed, nor did the surgeon appear to be aware of the four- teen punishments having been inflicted, neither did the Visiting Justice make any inquiry into this irregularity.
13. In another case I noticed in the Medical Report Book the following entry :- "No. 19. Sore back (healing). To have a flannel." On inquiry I found that in the early part of the year No. 19 had been treated for "vomiting and bowel complaint," for which he was ordered to wear a flannel; that in May Dr. Clarke records that "the vomiting has been checked," but that he was occasionally under treatment for the bowel complaint in the months of June, July, August, and September.
14. On the 24th of September the Visiting Justice convicted him of the following prison offence : —
"Disorderly conduct, in disobedience of orders in the presence of other convicts;
• Not printed.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
11.17 CO. 885
4
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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