PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
TUITII
Reference :-
C.O.885
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3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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incorrigible, and remain proof against any appeals that can be made to them. On these, even the punishments inflicted for breaches of prison discipline have no effect, and it has occurred to me, that it would perhaps be attended with a good result if the punishment inflicted by a Visiting Justice, for a breach of prison discipline, were carried out independently of the sentence which the prisoner was undergoing for his primary offence, that is to say, if a prisoner was sentenced by Visiting Justice to 14 days' solitary confinement, those 14 days should not count as part of his original sentence- in this way a man by misconduct in prison would be lengthening his imprisonment; and it seems reasonable that this should be so, inasmuch as by good behaviour he may shorten his imprisonment by getting a ticket-of-leave. I am convinced that by such a system as this, an improvement in the behaviour during imprisonment of some of our worst convicts would be compassed Of the 72 men in this prison, during the past year, 20 of them so misconducted themselves as to necessitate their being placed before a Visiting Justice—of these 20, 4 may be considered incorrigibles, 1 being tried seven times, 2 six times each, and 1 five times. The general conduct of the males in school has been satisfactory to both the school-master and myself, there has been, I am happy to say, only one case of misconduct, occurring in chapel, and one in school, reported on for the whole past year.
Of the 25 males released from Glendairy during the last year, 13 could read on their admission, and made fair progress during their imprisonment-of the 12 who were ignorant on thier admission, 7 were able to read on their release, the remaining 5 made but little progress.
While
I am sorry not to be able to report favourably of the behaviour of the females, either in chapel or in school. It is only by being continually admonished that the majority are got to preserve that outward decorum which is necessary when engaged in God's service, and there is often such a display of listlessness as to evidence too plainly how little the service is appreciated. In school this conduct is the same so lazy re they, and so indifferent to getting instruction, that very often they pretend not to be able to read, in order that they may not be drafted into the reading class, where they would sometimes be made to commit to memory a Collect or a few verses of the Bible. The marked difference between the males and females in their behaviour during the chapel and school service may be traced to this :—The males are in separate confinement, and they appreciate the boon of meeting together in one company and joining in one service, it is a break, so to speak, in the daily routine-it gives them pleasure, and so they are led on to join heartily in the occupation of the hour. With the females, the case is different, they are not all in separate confinement, but generally are locked up 12 or 14 together, and the result is, that far from the meeting together for school or chapel being boon to them, they are then under a restraint to which they were not subject before, consequently they shirk it whenever they can, and when they are in attendance they do not fail to display the indifference with which they regard it. at this point I cannot help noting it as my impression that imprisonment at Glendairy has no terrors for the class of women generally committed to it. "Hard labour" for women at Glendairy, at present, simply means making, mending, washing clothes, and cooking-even of these, there is so little to do compared to the number employed (and these are only a small proportion of the total number of prisoners), that it falls very lightly on each, making it more an agreeable pastime than a labour-the large proportion of prisoners have absolutely nothing to do, and are consequently locked up in groups of a dozen or more, amusing themselves in the manner most delightful to them, viz. :- sleeping and gossiping. Under these circumstances, it will be readily admitted, that a Chaplain has little chance of impressing them seriously – in fact there is nothing to sober and predispose them to listen to him." There are also two other prints in connection with this prisen that I cannot forbear noticing. Lock Hospital-- women who refuse to attend that hospital are imprisoned here—this I think very unadvisable, for however much it
may be desired to keep such women apart, under existing arrangements they do mix with the other prisoners; the other point that very young girls-from 8 to 9 years of age--are committed to this prison, where, of course, they meet with very bad companions, their elders in crime, and no doubt in the majority of instances, they leave prison worse than when they entered it. Of the 702 females committed to this prison during the year, 178 could road.
The Town Hall Gaol.—In this establishment are confined persons awaiting further trial, debtors, peace-breakers, prisoners convicted by Magistrates of petty offences, and those convicted at the Assizes by the Chief Judge. "There is a Catechist in attendance every morning to instruct the prisoners; but it is to be regretted that there is no actual school, as amongst the prisoners are many committed with long sentence-. I cannot help
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remarking that the unfloored shed in which the prisoners are gathered for public worship is little calculated to inspire any, much less those whom it is intended, with that religious awe which should be felt, and that devout demeanour which such a feeling would prompt, when going into the special presence of the Almighty to sue for pardon and supplicate for peace the temporary seats are so crowded together as to preclude all possibility of the majority kneeling, and the result is that the Apostolic injunction, "let all things be done decently and in order," is anything but observed. It is impossible in the present building, so unfit is it for the purpose in almost every point of view, to teach the prisoners what even their outward demeanour should be, when met together for the public worship of God. If then it be intended that this establishment should be a permanent one, in the interest of the prisoners, I would urge, that some effort be made to furnish them with a more suitable chapel-the careless and indifferent way in which they are necessarily allowed to conduct themselves in the present one must act injuriously on them. Of 1,618 males committed to this prison during the past year, 600 could read.
District A Prison.-In this prison are confined all females awaiting trial, and all who may be committed for simple imprisonment, as well as female debtors. Six female prisoners committed for hard labour are also kept here to perform the necessary work about the prison, pump water, &c. I think it objectionable that this class of prisoners should be confined here at all, but if it be necessary, I think that care should be exercised in the selection of the prisoners for this work,-certainly none should be kept here who have had a previous conviction. There is no provision here for the instruction of the prisoners other than by the Chaplain; but I hardly think any necessary, as the imprisonments generally are of short duration, except in the case of the six hard labour prisoners alluded to above. Of 720 females committed to this prison during the past year, 354 could read.
District C Prison.-At this prison are confined all prisoners convicted by the Magistrates of the district, as well as others who may be transferred from the Town Hall Gaol to relieve the numbers there. There is no provision here for the instruction of the prisoners, except by the Chaplain; this I think is greatly to be regretted, as the prisoners from the district, always remaining at this prison, never get the benefit of any regular instruction, and those transferred from the Town Hall Gaol have occasionally long terms of imprisonment. I think it would be an improvement on the present arrangement and attended with good results, if the prisoners from the district were not committed to this prison, particularly in the case of old offenders, where they are more at home, and, when taken for work without the walls of the prison, have a greater chance of seeing their old associates. Of 145 males committed to this prison during the past year, 34 could read.
District Prison D.-At this prison are confined prisoners transferred from the Town Hall Gaol. Here also is no provision made for the regular instruction of the prisoners, and I would urge that except it be absolutely necessary, it would be as well to avoid sending long-sentenced prisoners to either C or D, until some provision be made for their regular instruction. It is impossible for me, considering the distance of these prisons from the centre of my work, to give them anything like adequate attention.
At present
I am only able to pay each of them a fortnighly visit.
Juvenile Reformatory B.-To this establishment are committed all boys under 14 years of age, and for their regular daily instruction a schoolmaster is appointed; but there seems to be very little time devoted to school work. The boys are taken out in gangs to work for six hours every day on some neighbouring estate, a feature in the system carried out at this establishment which I think open to grave' objection, it reduces the time which may be more profitably spent in their instruction to a minimum, it causes their prison life to approach too nearly to what their ordinary way of living is, both in the matter of occupation, and contact with others, and it deprives their punish- ment to a very great degree of its deterrent influence. Again, I am of opinion, that the short periods for which the juveniles are imprisoned must operate against the present establishment ever becoming anything of a reformatory. Under a system most favourable to reformation, I submit that it would take a period certainly not less than 12 months to render success at all likely. What benefit then can be expected from imprisonments varying in the majority of eases from 14 to 30 days. Indeed, I believe it probable that the system of committing for short periods, far from exercising a reforming influence, has the opposite effect, and that a boy may leave prison more steeped in vice than when he entered it. It is hardly to be realized, how thorough an education in crime may be carried on in a prison where there is no separate system in existence. And further, these short imprisonments render the instruction imparted totally ineffectual-- a boy sent to prison for a month, may during that time be taught to repeat the Lord's
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