CO885(2-3) — Page 668

TUTT

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference

C.O.885

3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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now entirely a house of detention and a female prison, the convict establishment can contain, without the least overcrowding, 800 convicts; this is not including hospital wards at each gaol for light cases, and a detached hospital at Borella capable of holding 110 patients.

The question of a new permanent hospital is still under the consideration of Government, and must depend on other matters not yet settled, namely, whether the cellular accommodation still required for 300 prisoners is to be built at Welikada or at Kandy. I am inclined to advise a new gnol at Kandy. So long as the healthiness of the Welikada site is “doubtful," it would be impolitic to enlarge it; and, in any case, I think that in a country where epidemic diseases are so common, and where the congregating of masses so generally leads to disease, two gaols, to contain 500 prisoners each, are better than one gaol to contain 1,000.

So soon as this question is settled, the hospital accommodation required can be calculated, and no time should then be lost in building. Meanwhile, it is satisfactory to feel that, notwithstanding many difficulties, the Government has been able to meet the urgent desire of the Commission that, "if possible, the old small-pox hospital at Borella should be retained as the gaol hospital;" and up to the present time it has admirably answered its purpose.

The sanitary arrangements in all the gaols, comprising the convict establishment, receive the greatest attention from both the disciplinary and medical authorities.

The diet is excellent; indeed, I think it too good. The clothing, of which every prisoner has a day and night suit, is constantly changed and washed, and the persons of the prisoners are kept scrupulously clean; wherever the prisoners sleep in association, every man's berth is distinctly marked out; he has either a wooden cot or platform, or where this is not considered necessary, a roll of coir matting; in addition to this, he has a mat, a cambly or blanket, and a mat pillow.

The wards and cells are now thoroughly lighted, and are regularly patrolled.

The latrine arrangements are most carefully attended to; the night latrines attached to the new wards are excellent, and, I believe, can hardly be improved upon. They meet with unqualified approval from all who inspect them. But the practice carried out at Welikada, in compliance with the suggestion of the Commission, of letting men out of the cells to urinate is, in my opinion, highly objectionable. The objections are too numerous to be here detailed." I have ascertained that the practice does not obtain in India, and I have addressed the Government fully on the subject. I trust it will at once he stopped, and that metal or glazed urinals may be introduced for night use

in cells.

The establishment of the prison has likewise undergone a complete change. The late Superintendent, Dr. Coghill, having received a medical appointment in the Straits Settlements, his place has been temporarily filled by Mr. Leisching, the Fiscal of the Western Province, and this gentleman has been most painstaking in his endeavours to work reforms. Much of the good that has been done is due to the personal care and attention that he has bestowed on his duties.

The Secretary of State has appointed a gentleman from England to the permanent Captain Wyndham Thompson is undergoing special instruction at some of the English prisons, and is shortly expected to take up his appointment.

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A principal warder from Portland Prison, Mr. John Castle, an officer holding the highest testimonials to character and ability, has been appointed gaoler, and is in charge of the Slave Island and Breakwater Gaols. From all I have seen, I feel sure that no better selection could have been made, and I cannot speak too highly of the manner in which Mr. Castle has discharged his duties since his arrival in Ceylon.

Another chief warder from an English prison, Mr. Ward, has been appointed, and he is expected daily; he will be stationed at Welikada, and will relieve Mr. Clarke, who was appointed European chief-warder in last year.

Mr. Lloyd, Quarter-Master Serjeant of Artillery, has been appointed to assist Mr. Castle at the Breakwater, and Mr. Mussaper, late Serjeant-Major of the Ceylon Rifles, has been appointed to Hultsdorf; both promise to turn out good prison officers.

I have gone thus fully into the several improvements that have been authorized and carried out in the convict establishment, because the Sessional Paper No. 13 having been made public, it is only right to here record how thoroughly and earnestly the Home and Local Governments have endeavoured to remedy the evils therein reported to exist; and I believe I am justified in saying that at no period has the convict establishment in Ceylon been in so satisfactory à condition as it is at present, and from all I can gather, it will compare favourably with any Indian prison.

There is, however, still much to do, and I trust the improvements will not be stayed.

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Several alterations and new buildings are still required at Welikada, but the chief want here, as elsewhere, is the reorganization of the subordinate departments, the officers of which are not sufficiently paid to ensure honesty or respectability.

As soon as good subordinates are obtained, strict discipline should be enforced. During the past year, penal discipline has necessarily been set aside, but now that Welikada is being reoccupied, it must be worked up. opinion, cannot do better than endeavour to carry out the system so admirably described The new Superintendent, in my by Mr. Duval, the late Inspector-General, in a paper read at the International Prison Congress. This sets out very properly what was intended to be, but what never yet has been, the prison system of Ceylon.

I cannot close this notice of Welikada without saying a few words regarding the admirable manner in which the medical duties have been performed by Dr. Vanderstraaten, the Medical Officer in charge. I speak not of professional skill, which it is for the P. C. M. O. to notice, but of that care, anxiety, and attention displayed towards his patients, and of his obliging and courteous assistance to the prison officials. It is impossible that, with Dr. Vanderstraaten in medical charge, there can be any serious antagonism between the medical and disciplinary departments of the gaol;" and in the interest of the public service and of the Prison, I hope that the P. C. M. O. may be able, without disadvantage to Dr. Vanderstraaten, to long retain him as the Medical Officer in charge of the Convict Establishment.

Hultsdorf. Has been already noticed as forming part of the Convict Establishment, 1873. It is now simply a house of detention for unconvicted prisoners, with a female prison attached to it.

Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 43.

Convict Establishment, Welikada, Murch 5, 1874. IN forwarding herewith the Gaol Return for Welikada, for last year, I beg leave to solicit attention to the remarks made by me, under letters C and E, as to the lax state of discipline in the Gaol.

As the laxity is spoken of as existing during my own tenure of office, I trust it will be seen that no attempt would be made by me to claim credit for a better state of things than I believe really to exist, and I feel bound to say that, while the report has reference to the condition of the gaol last year, there has been a most decided and marked improvement since the beginning of this year. The Welikada prisoners are no longer marched through the streets morning and evening to a distant sleeping place, but are detained within its walls as much as possible, and are employed at really hard labour. They beat coir husk, or manufacture it into yarn, and all in the penal stage sleep at night in separate cells. No work is carried on within the cells; they are simply dormitories. The prisoner is locked up after the day's work is over, and after he has had his evening meal and washed himself, he has a clean suit of clothes allowed him for the night, and no article of food is taken into the cell, as I consider it undesirable that any refuse of a meal should be allowed to taint the air in it. He has his sleeping mat, his blanket, his water vessel, and a spittoon with sand in it. If he requires to perform the offices of nature, he is taken outside the cell.

In the morning he comes out of his cell, takes his early meal outside, and the cell is cleaned and aired and left unoccupied till nightfall. Many of the cells have had large grated windows put in, and if they answer as well as they promise to do, all will, I presume, be altered in the same manner.

Having once passed a night in one of these cells, I can testify to the fact that they are cool and airy.

There has been a weeding out of the effete and untrustworthy overseers, and men of a different stamp have been engaged; the result is already manifest. The separation of penal-stage from middle-stage men also has had a marked effect in the maintenance of better discipline.

The food supplied the prisoners is ample, aud of most excellent quality; and a sample of the curry and rice is daily brought for my personal inspection at meal-time. If there be any fault, it is that the food is too good, often far better than what the men would have had outside.

As soon as a prisoner gets ill, he is removed to Borella, about a third of a mile from Welikada; and the result of this change of locality is, that in a few days he, as a general rule, recovers.

When a man is out of the penal stage, he is sent to the Slave Island Gaol, which,