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C.O.885

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from lessening the number of prisoners, a reduction of cost to the public might be effected.

But in the Town Hall Gaol itself one great obstacle exists to rendering its internal discipline sufficiently deterrent, and that is, the absence of means of enforcing the separate system. For, where as is now the case in the Town Hall Gaol, prisoners are locked up thirty or more together in one ward for the night, imprisonment loses much of its terrors, and classification even as regards young and old offenders becomes impossible, facilities are given for the conceiving of all sorts of crimes and the concoction of plau sible stories to impose upon the authorities-while the individual who may become the inmate of a prison for the first time and for a venial offence, is thrown into the company of hardened criminals, and leaves the prison a far worse member of society, than when be entered it, the result of contamination from his associates. With such indiscriminate crowding together of individuals, the idea of the reformation of a criminal simply be- comes hopeless.

In the neighbouring prison of Glendairy the separate system is enforced and the privilege of going outside the walls of his prison, before the expiration of a criminal's sentence, does not obtain, as I believe much to the dissatisfaction of its inmates. In any future arrangements that may be made for increased prison accommodation, I think the assimilation of the system of discipline to that followed at Glendairy should be primarily considered as there can be no reason why similar classes of criminals, I mean those sentenced to penal labour, should be treated differently from the accidental circumstance of their being confined in different buildings.

District A" Prison is set apart for the reception of female debtors and female criminals sentenced to short terms of imprisonment, under sureties, or waiting their trial at grand sessions. The number of hard labour prisoners apportioned to this prison is two, except when Glendairy is overcrowded, when the number may be increased to six; such hard labour consisting in cleansing the yard of the gaol and pumping up water from a very deep well. This latter employment is very laborious.

This prison being also used as a police station, the space allotted to the prisoners is limited, the ventilation of the two wards in which they are confined being bad—while the arrangements for sanatory and other purposes are deficient and objectionable.

With the exception of the hard-labour prisoners, the women have no occupation

whatever.

Debtors and criminals are mingled together, there being no accommodation for separating them; and thus a respectable woman, who may have had the misfortune to get into debt, is shut up in the same ward with some of the most abandoned of her sex. The occupancy of the same set of buildings by female prisoners and the police is, I think, very objectionable, as when opportunity occurs, they will, if possible, communicate with one another. This prison is under the care of a Matron.

District "B" Prison, or Boarded Hall, is used for the reception of juvenile criminals under the age of fourteen years. Their employment consists in the performance of agricultural labour on estates in the neighbourhood.

The staff of the prison consists of a Keeper and one Superintendent, when the number of boys confiued in, it is under twenty; over that number, two Superintendents are employed.

From the excessive numbers of recommittals at this prison, as shown in the annexed Return, and to which I drew his Excellency's attention on a former occasion, it would appear that the discipline carried out is the reverse of being of a reformatory or deterrent character. In fact, the advantages in the shape of wholesome food, lodging, cleanliness, clothing, medical attendance, and education, with light out-door occupation, form such inducements to parents, that we can hardly expect they will care to prevent their children becoming inmates of a prison, no stigma attaching to such imprisonment, while to the boys themselves it is probably a change from hardship and starvation, to comfort and plenty. It is for the petty crimes of which the juvenile convicts are so frequently con- victed, that I would substitute the summary punishment of whipping, instead of as at present such frequent imprisonments; and if in any way the parents could be made responsible for their children's good conduct, or for their maintenance in prison, it might lead to a diminution in the numbers committed. Perhaps also the experiment of a more meagre diet might have a good effect. Under the present circumstances of its discipline being so little deterrent, while the contaminating influences at work, resulting from the association of so many boys repeatedly convicted of crime, Boarded Hall is little better than a nursery for the Town llall Prison.

District "C" prison is situated in the parish of St. Philips, and is in charge of a Keeper, assisted by two Superintendents of Convicts. The wards, twelve in number, are

Justice.

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well ventilated. The penal labour enforced in "C" prison consists of shot drill, breaking stones, and working on the roads in the neighbourhood. Offences against prison discip- line are punished by solitary confinement and flogging under the authority of the Visiting

This prison labours under a disadvantage similiar to that of the Town Hall Guol- the yard in which the prisoners do shot drill and break stones being open to the public, in consequence of the local Magistrate holding his Court within the building- offering many and frequent distractions to the prisoners during the performance of their penal labour.

District "D" prison is in charge of a Sergeant of Police, aided by a Superintendent of Convicts, by the former of whom discipline is well maintained. The penal labour performed by the prisoners consists of shot drill, breaking stones or working on the roads.

The ward in which the prisoners are confined consists of one large room, which although the reverse of lofty is well ventilated, and calculated to accommodate about thirty prisoners. The prison yard is also capacious. Offences against prison discipline are punished by solitary confinement and flogging, under the authority of the Visiting

Justice.

These two prisons "C and D," are used for the reception of local offenders--they are, however, also utilised, by the transfer of prisoners from the Town Hall Gaol, to relieve the overcrowded state of that establishment.

It will thus be seen, that the deficiency of accommodation for the number of prisoners confined in the Town Hall Prison, whether as regards space or ventilation, is most excessive. That as a place of security, from its being continually frequented by the public, it is an unfit place for the confinement of criminals, and as regards its internal discipline, means are wanting to carry out the separate system. To this latter circumstance, may in a degree be attributable the high rate of reconvictions, coupled however with the fact, that the labour on which many of the prisoners are employed, is of so light a character, as not to be strictly penal, and consequently not repressive

of crime.

District "A and B " labour under many similar disadvantages. At the same time, the usual result of multiplying places of confinement exists at C and D" prisons, in the removing them from the observations of the superior authorities-while at the former, the ordinary consequence of small salaries results in a very indifferent superintending officer.

I have, &c.

(Signed) CHAS. T. HYDE, Provost Marshal.

RETURN showing the Recommittals of Juvenile Offenders at the Asylum District B, from January 1, 1871, to April 10, 1873.

In 1871-Previously convicted-once, 35; twice, 7; thrice, 3; four times, 5; five times, 5; six times, 1.

In 1872-Previously convicted-once, 37; twice, 11; thrice, 5; four times, 5; five times, 5; six times, 4; seven times, 1; eight times, 1.

In 1973 (to April 10):-Previously convicted-once, 10; twice, 5; thrice, 3; four times, 1 five times, 2.

A. SMITH, Keeper.

(Signed)

Report of the Chaplain to the Prisons.

I have the honour to report on the prisons of the island for the information of his Excellency the Governor.

The establishment of which I am chaplain consists of two principal prisons and four district ones, viz. :-Glendairy, the Town Hall Gaol, District Prisons A. C. D, and the Juvenile Reformatory District B.

Glendairy. This prison has two departments, one for males. the other for females. The former is capable of accommodating 72 males in separate cells, and is kept supplied from the Town Hall Gaol as vacancies occur; the latter is occupied by all females who are sentenced to hard labour, with the exception of six, who are sent to District A. Prison. In this establishment there is a chapel in which evening service is held every day during the week, and morning, service on Sundays. The chapel is so divided that both males and females attend service at the same time without seeing each other. It is also used