CO885(3-4) — Page 7

7

280

No comparison with reference to penal dict can be effectually drawn between the prisoners under the present system and those in former years under the convict system,

The prisoners now undergoing imprisonment are to a large extent of a different nationality.

The discipline also is totally different, and various articles of diet, which in the old system, although not given by Government, were frequently obtained, by the prisoners, are now unobtainable and prohibited,

In former years the majority of prisoners consisted of criminals from India and Ceylon. These men were medically examined before embarking for the Straits, with reference to age and physical fitness, therefore none but healthy nien in the prime of life were forwarded to these Settlements.

At the present time the prisoners are local criminals, the Chinese largely predominating.

Task work and confinement within the limits of the prison is now the rule with all prisoners, except those belonging to the Revenue Grade.

In förmer years nearly all the prisoners were employed during the day time on public and other works without the tiimits of the prison, and large numbers slept outside.

Thus prisoners working without the limits of the prison had frequent opportunities of obtaining fruit, tobacco, opium, and other articles, which cannot be obtained under the present system.

It will thus be seen that the punishment in former years consisted chiefly in the prisoner's being transported from bis native place.

Punishment now consists in the seclusion of the prisoner within the walls of the prison, in taskwork, and in a diet both as severe as can prudently be enforced without undermining the constitution of the prisoner.

The House of Correction is now incorporated with the Criminal Prison, and thus a large number of men, from the very lowest munks of life, paupers, and in some cases men suffering from long-standing disease, pass through the prison, thus considerably swelling the sick and mortality returns.

I append the following returns, marked A B C D and E.*

Return A is based upon the weights of 450 prisoners of three grades. In two grades, viz., the long sentence and short sentence, the prisoners undergo penal dict and penal Jabour; in the third-the Revenue-prisoners are exempted from this particular punisliment.

Table A gives the aggregate weight of 150 prisoners of each grade. From this it will be seen that there is an aggregate gain in all three grades.

The average weight of each prisoner on admission is shown, and it will be noticed that long-sentenced prisoners are the heaviest, and Revenue prisoners the lightest.

Long-sentenced prisoners, as a rule, are men drawn from the well fed labouring

class.

Short-sentenced prisoners are in part drawn from the same class, but perhaps fully one half are men from the dregs of the population, many diseased and destitute.

Revenue Grade.—The prisoners in this grade are for the most part men unaCCUS- tomed to hard labour, and are drawn from a class of men who gain their livelihood as petty traders, and by gambling.

The average gain per prisoner is most in the short-sentence grade, and my remarks above in reference to this grade, I think, account for this.

On reference to Tuble B it will be seen that although in Table A there is an aggregate gain amongst prisoners, yet only a certain per centage really gain, whilst a per centage lose, and another per centage neither gain nor lose.

In this Table the highest per centage of those who gain, and the lowest per centage

of those who lose, will be found in the short-sentence pfisoners.

The smallest per centage of gain is amongst revenue prisoners, whilst the per centage of those who lose in this grade is almost on a par with that of long-sentenced prisoners,

In the former case wholesome and regular diet, and in the latter case a somewhat restricted diet to that which they have been accustomed, and the irksomeness of prison discipline may fairly be said to account for this.

The average gain in those who have increased in weight is highest amongst · long sentenced prisoners, and smallest amongst revenue.

In those who have decreased in weight, these conditions are exactly reversed.

On reference to the record of weights of prisoners, numerous instances occur where long-sentenced prisoners on admission, weighing very considerably above the average, such

* Only A and B printed.

281

as 140 and 150 lbs., or even more, lose a considerable amount after their admission, unti they reach a certain weight, at which they remain stationary.

In these cases, it has probably happened that the prisoner has been for some time awaiting trial in one of the civil gaols, where he has been on a full diet with no labour to perform and scarcely any exercise. This loss is therefore one in no wise detrimental to the prisoner; in fact, he probably only regains his normal standard of weight.

Return B shows the weights of 36 prisoners-12 Chinese, 12 Malays, and 12 Indians, at the commencement and termination of each penal diet period, the last weight recorded being at the termination of the last penal diet period undergone by each prisoner. It will be seen that, as a rule, prisoners during the penal diet period lose a trifling amount of weight, which is in most cases regained and added to during the intermediate period when they are on the ordinary prison diet.

The majority of prisoners in this Table are long-sentenced men; five months is the longest time on record. It was found impossible to obtain a record of any prisoners for the full six months, as I did not introduce so close a system of weights until the 1st April, and in September, owing to a few cases of cholera having occurred in the prison, I decined it advisable to recommend that the penal diet should be omitted for a time.

In this Return the fact of a prisoner having been in hospital did not exempt him from being incorporated in it.

Return C.-This Return shows per-centage of admissions into hospital, and the per- centage of admissions to average strength. In the lower and short-sentenced grades, the per-centage at first sight appears to be very high in comparison with that of the other grades, but this high per-centage is principally due to the number of cases of discaso, such as ulcers, syphilis, itch, &e., contracted previous to admission into prison.

It will be seen that, in the Revenue grade, the per-centage of admissions is 112, whilst in the middle and upper grades it is 77 and 50 respectively. ?

Return D.—This Return gives the mortality for the year amongst native prisoners. The mortality, notwithstanding that four cases were due to cholera, will bear, I believe, a very favourable comparison with that of the prisons in the Madras Presidency and Ceylon, especially when it is considered that the short sentence grade consists of prisoners who would undergo sentence in a House of Correction or Penitentiary in other places.

The average strength of this grade is a tolerably large one, and, owing to the periods of imprisonment varying from a few days to six months, a large number of persons pass under review every year. Numbers, no doubt, greatly benefit during their stay in the prison, while some, after a life of misery and squallor, and years of sickness, end their life in what is, to them, comparative luxury.

It will be seen, on reference to paragraphs following the Table of Deaths, that one- half of the deaths occurred in prisoners who had never been subjected to penal diet or penal labour, and therefore these deaths must be attributed to causes entirely independent of the penal system.

Two deaths occurred of prisoners who were subjected in 1873 to penal diet and light labour.

The remaining sixteen deaths occurred of prisoners who had been subjected to the penal system, and it must be borne in mind that a large majority of the prisoners confined in the prison during the year had been subjected to the penal system.

Month by month the numbers of these prisoners rapidly increased, whilst, on the other hand, the former class rapidly diminished, and at the close of the year only a small per-centage of upper and middle grade prisoners remained, who had not been subjected to the penal system.

I append the Mortality Table for 1873, analysing it in the same way as that for 1871, with reference to the penal system.

I am unable to furnish the percentage of deaths to strength of the various grades, and also the percentage of deaths to admissions into hospital from these grades.

In connection with the deaths for 1873, I must state that cases of cholera in that year were treated outside the prison, and, therefore, no deaths from this disease occurring in the prison hospital, the mortality is not included in the total number of deaths.

On comparing the two years, out of the total number of deaths, 9 in each occurred in prisoners who were unfit for the penal system. Excluding these, there remain 27 and 25 deaths in 1873 and 1874 respectively. Of these, in some cases, the state of health was registered on admission; in others not so, but in this Report they are inferred to have been in a healthy state.

Of the 27 death in 1873, 12 did not undergo the peual system, as they were admitted

(128)

4 C

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

11111C.O.885

3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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