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3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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day in "penal gangs," each gang being under the supervision of one or more overseers. Silence is strictly enforced upon the prisoners, and any infraction of the rule subjects the offender to punishment.
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Q. 3. How many cells are there; and how many associated wards?—A. There are 101 cells, including six 'solitary" or
There are also three "punishment" cells. hospital wards, a metlicine room, and a room for the sick nurse, together with six bath-
rooms.
Q. 4. Taking the average number of prisoners in gaol, how many cubic feet of space are there for each prisoner during the hours of sleep?-4. Each prisoner occupies a separate cell, and each cell contains on an average 800 cubic feet.
Q. 5. How are the prisoners classified?-A. The male and female prisoners are con- fined in separate parts of the prison, so as to prevent their seeing, conversing, or holding any intercourse with each other. The prisoners of each sex are divided into the following classes, viz. :
1. Prisoners before trial from convicted prisoners;
2. Prisoners committed upon charges affecting their lives from prisoners committed
for other offences;
3. Juveniles under 18 years of age from adults;
4. Felons from misdemeanants.
Q. 6. Is penal labour-that is, labour by treadmill, crank, or shot drill-in force ?-- A. Strictly penal labour, that is labour by shot drill, is now in force.
Q. 7. If so, during what periods of imprisonment, in respect of what classes of prisoners, and during how many hours, is such penal labour enforced? In stating hours of treadwheel labour, give, first, the total time on and off at the wheel, &c.; secondly, the length of spells and intervals of rest?-4. All prisoners sentenced to penal servi- tude or to hard labour are, during the first three months of their sentence, put to shot drill for a period of three hours daily: one hour and a half of which is performed in the morning after sunrise, and one hour and a half in the afternoon.
Q. 8. What kind of labour, other than penal labour, is in use?-Prisoners at work within the prison walls are employed in quarrying stone on the prisou lot, and converting it into macadam for use on the public roads.
Q. 9. If the prisoners are employed beyond the walls of the gaol, state?—A. Yes. (1.) On what kind of work they are so employed?. In repairing and maca- damizing the public roads; in cleaning the public drains and gutters, &c.; in weeding and keeping in order the Government House, and other public grounds.
(2.) flow are they supervised?—A. By overseers.
of
(3.) How many escapes of prisoners, while being employed beyond the gaol, have taken place during each of the last three years?. There were two escapes prisoners in 1872; but none in 1873 and 1874. The escaped prisoners were captured.
(4.) Iłow the profits of their labour are accounted for ?—The prison derives no profit or benefit from the labour of the prisoners; they are employed exclusively on public works, and the publie alone reaps the benefit of their labour.
Q. 10. What was the total annual cost of the prison during the year 1874 ?—. The total cost of the prison for the year, including the salaries of the keeper, chaplain, and all its subordinate officers, amounted to 1,991. 12s. 5d.
Q.11. What was the annual amount of the prisoners' earnings during 1874- A. There have been employed on the public roads, and other public works during the year, a daily average of 50 prisoners, and if the labour of caeli prisoner be estimated at 18. 3d. per day, the value of the labour of the prisoners for the year may be put down at 9781. 28. G.; but no specific sum has been received in return for such labour.
Q. 12. What are the number of the hours allotted for sleep? And, if sleep is in association, are the dormitories lighted; and how often are they patrolled during the night?-4.5 to 6 in winter, 8 to 5 in summer. Ten hours are now allotted for sleep in the winter, and nine in the summer. The corridors of the prison are lighted and patrolled all night by two overseers, who relieve each other alternately.
Q. 13. What were the number and nature of the punishments inflicted for offences committed by prisoners undergoing imprisonment ?—7. Two hundred and eighty-eight punishments were inflicted by solitary confinement) for breaches of prison discipline during the year.
Q. 14. Is there, or are there, any chaplain or chaplains of any, and what, religious persuasions. There is a chaplain, who is a minister of the Anglican Church.
Q. 15. Are religious services regularly, or otherwise, performed for the benefit of the prisoners of any, and if any what, religious persuasion-4. Religious services are regu- larly performed by the chaplain on Sunday mornings, and Wednesday afternoons.
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Q. 16. Are Roman Catholic priests and Dissenting ministers allowed free access to prisoners of their own persuasion? and are they apprized when prisoners of their respective persuasions enter the prison ?-A. Dissenting ministers are allowed free access to the prison; and when prisoners of their respective persuasions are committed to prison they are apprized of the fact by letter. There is no priest of the Roman Catholic faith in the Colony.
Q. 17 What provision is made for the education of prisoners ?-A. The 63rd Prison Rule makes provision for the employment of a fit and proper person, to be recommended by the chaplain.
Q. 18. On what conditions are remissions of imprisonment granted?. There is no rule or regulation on the subject. It is a matter purely discretionary with the Governor of the Colony.
Q. 19. Have coroners' inquests been held on every occasion of a death in prison during the past year? and what were the verdicts ?-A. Coroners' inquests are always held on the bodies of prisoners who die in prison. There was one death during the year, and the following was the verdict of the jury: "acute dysentery."
Q. 20. (1) What was the sanitary state of the prison during the year 1874?-A. The sanitary state of the prison during the year has been most satisfactory.
(2) What were the prevailing diseases ?-4. Diarrhoea and dysentery, rheumatic and catarrhal affections, and chronic heart diseases.
Q. 21. What are, shortly, the rules as to diet ?-A. Men: Breakfast, pints corn grits (Indian) boiled into hominy, gill molasses; or 18 ozs. of wheaten bread for soldiers and seamen. Dinner, pint of rice, boiled with salt pork. Twice a week hard- labour prisoners get lb. of fresh meat, boiled, and a pint of soup. Lunch, hard-labour prisoners, 9 ozs. bread.-Women: Breakfast, pint (corn grits) hominy,gill molasses. Dinner, pint rice, cooked with salt pork. Lunch, hard-labour prisoners, 9 ozs. bread.
The above is subject to be modified or altered according to circumstances of sickness or punishment.
(Signed) A. J. THOMPSON, Provost Marshal.
February 2, 1875.
Criminal Statistics.
I. OFFENCES.
TABLE showing the Number of Offences reported to the Police or the Magistrates
during 1874.
Total
Number of Offences
Offences against the Person.
Reported.
Offencest against Predial Larceny. Property (other than
Predial Larceny),
Other Offences.
2,162
501
108
188
1,365
ByPrædial Larceny" is meant the offence, prevalent in the sugar-growing and coolie-importing Colonics, of robbing provision grounds and homesteads. It need not be filled up in Colonies where such crime is not prevalant; and, it being struck out, any other prevalent crime may be substituted-as cattle stealing, arion, &c.
+ Include both offences against rights of property and injuries to the subjects of property.
(128)
2 R
A