CO885(3-4) — Page 26

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

11111 CO. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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reasonable provision was made for the spiritual instruction of the inmates of those prisons to which a chaplain was attached. Since the disendowment of the Church of England in this Colony, the office of chaplain to the Penitentiary has been abolished, and there is at present no minister of any religious denomination who has sole charge of the Penitentiary. There is, however, a body of ministers of various denominations, exclusive of the Anglican, who perform service in rotation at the Penitentiary every Sunday afternoon, who, in fact, to use the language of some of their own number, form a kind of "Co-operative chaplaincy." These gentlemen are paid a guinea cach for such service they perform on Sundays, and those Sunday services seem to have been regularly performed. They have also agreed among themselves that the minister who does the Sunday duty shall visit the Penitentiary on the following Wednesday. Out of eight gentlemen, however, who constitute the co-operative chaplaincy, only three have attended on week days, and then only for about an hour at a time. No payment is made for these 'week-day visits.

68. Independently of these gentlemen, Mr. Pierce, a clergyman of the Discstab- lished Church of England, occasionally assisted by other clergymen of that denomina- tion, voluntarily performs service at 10 o'clock every Sunday morning, and visits the sick when called upon. No remuneration is received by the clergyman of the Church of England for these services. The priests of the Roman Catholic Church also visit the prisoners of their denomination, of whom there are about thirty in the Penitentiary, but hold no regular services.

69. We venture to recommend strongly the establishment of the office of chaplain to the Penitentiary, and the appointment of some clergyman who can devote his whole time to the prisoners placed under his spiritual care. Nobody we suppose will dispute We cannot see how a that so large a number of prisoners, many of whom are sentenced to imprisonment for life, ought not to be left without proper religious instruction. body, of ministers, who merely perform a single service in rotation on Sundays, and attend at rare and uncertain intervals for a single hour during the week, can exercise the same influence for good over the minds of the prisoners as a chaplain whose business it is to be in daily and hourly communication with them, and who would have the opportunity of gaining their confidence and of ascertaining their several characters and dispositions.

70. Father Hathway, who for several years visited the Roman Catholic prisoners in Millbank and Tothill Fields Prison puts this point very forcibly in his evidence. He says, "I think a man who goes about the prisoners and obtains moral influence over them would do more good than all the preaching in the world; I say so from my own experience, because at Millbank, when I was merely allowed to preach twice a week, very little was done; but when I was allowed to go and speak to the people in private, a great deal of good was done, and the Government Inspector reported that there was an immense improvement in the very first year; for permanent reformation, nothing can supply the moral influence of a man whom the prisoners know and feel to be their friend." We entirely agree to this opinion of Father Hathway, who has evidently bestowed much thought on and is well acquainted with the subject.

71. With regard to the other prisons, we regret to say, that with a few exceptions, the clergy and ministers of all denominations have shown themselves lamentably indifferent to the spiritual welfare of the prisoners. No doubt prisoners condemned to death have not been left without spiritual existence, but the following detail will show how little is done in ordinary cases for the religious instruction and reformation of the convicte.

72. At Mandeville, the rector of the parish and his curate perform service once every Sunday, and visit the sick when sent for. There is a room set apart for a chapel, but it is ill-adapted for the purpose, and altogether too small. ▾

73. The prison at Black River, which was re-opened in March 1869, seems never to be visited by any minister. The Superintendent reads prayers every Sunday morning, but no other religious services are held.

74. At Lucen a service was till lately performed by the Presbyterian minister once every Sunday, and since he has fallen into ill-health it is conducted by the Superinten- dent. The prisoners are not regularly attended by any minister. The rector, who lives within a few hundred yards of the place, has not visited them for the last eight years. There is a small room used as a chapel, but not fitted up for the purpose.

75. At Montego Bay, service is read once every work by the rector; there are no Sunday services or prayers, and uo minister comes to prison at any other time.

When they do 76. At Falmouth, there is a room set apart for a chapel, in which service is some. times performed on Sundays, by ministers of various denominations.

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not attend, it is conducted by the Superintendent, who also reads the Lord's Prayer to The island curate has never been to the prison since the the prisoners daily. disestablishment of the Church.

77. The Short-Term Prison at Saint Ann's, which has been reopened for thirteen months, has on once been visited by any minister, and then not in the performance of any religious duty. The Superintendent, however, reads prayers on alternate Sundays,

78. At Port Maria, service is regularly performed on Sunday mornings by the rector, who also visits the prison whenever requested to do so.

79. The small prison at Port Antonio, which, when inspected by the Commis- sioners, had been open for seven months, had never been visited by any minister of religion, although the Superintendent states in his evidence that he has requested some of them to do so.

80. No clergyman or minister visits the Short-Term Prison at Morant Bay. The Superintendent reads to the prisoners on Sundays.

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81. Saint Catherine District Prison was occasionally, but rarely, visited by the rector, who, on the disestablishment of the Church, made the following entry in the journal:-" By legislative enactment, the clergy of this island have been released from compulsory attendance upon the respective jails and prisons." Service, however, is performed here every Sunday by Mr. Lea, the Baptist minister at Spanish Town, who also frequently visits the prison on week days.

82. No religious services are held in the Middlesex and Surrey County Gaol, and no clergyman or minister ever visits it, except when prisoners are confined there under sentence of death.

83. It will thus be seen that the religious instruction of the prisoners is left to chance, and in most cases is very much neglected.

Marks.

84. The system of marks for good conduct, or for hard labour, is not in use in any prison in this island. However successful this system may have proved in England, the Commissioners very much doubt whether it could be advantageously introduced here; for so long as the sub-officers are drawn from the present class, they can scarcely be trusted "to carry out the system fairly and efficiently;" at one time too familiar, another too harsh, towards the prisoners, easily flattered and casily offended, there is too much reason to fear that they would allow their personal likings and dislikings to guide them in awarding the marks to the different prisoners under their charge, even if they could be relied upon to take the trouble of carefully watching and ascertaining the work performed by each man.

85. These remarks of course apply more particularly, but not solely, to the case of prisoners worked in gangs outside the prison, and sometimes at considerable distance from it, so that it is next to impossible for the Superintendent to keep a close supervision over them.

86. No gratuities are awarded either in the General Penitentiary or the other prisons, and except in the General Penitentiary, there are no remissions or gradations of punishment established by law or rules. Male convicts confined in the General Penitentiary may under certain conditions be promoted to the licensed class. Admis sion to the licensed class is granted as a reward for good conduct to any prisoner who has not been reconvicted, or been guilty of rape or unnatural offences. After having served half of his time satisfactorily, any prisoner, with the exceptions above mentioned, may obtain a remission. of one-fourth of the remaining portion of his sentence; if he misconduct himself whilst in the licensed class, he can be returned to his former class, and would have to serve out his original sentence. It is very rarely a prisoner has to be turned back from the licensed class-there has not been an instance of this for the last two years. A list of the prisoners eligible for the licensed class, showing their crime, time served, time left to serve, conduct whether good or bad, is sent to the Governor for his approval before the prisoner can be removed from his original class.

87. This system has been found of great use in the Penitentiary in keeping the prisoners steady and obedient. The hope of being promoted to it, and the fear of losing its benefits when promoted, has an admirable effect on both male and female prisoners.

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88. There seems no good reason why prisoners sentenced for a year to any of the district prisons should not be entitled to a similar privilege; and we think that all