63
I PUBLI
TUITIL
RECORD OFFICE
Reference --
C.O.885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
3 PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
here seems to be very little time devoted to school work. The boys are taken out in gangs to work for 6 hours every day on some neighbouring estate, a feature in the system carried out at this establishment which I think open to grave objection. It reduces the time which may be more profitably spent in the instruction of the boys to a minimum; it causes their prison life to approach too nearly to what their ordinary way of living is, both in the matter of occupation, and contact with others, and it deprives their punishment to a very great degree of its deterrent influence. Again, I am of opinion, that the short periods for which the juveniles are imprisoned must prevent the present establishment ever becoming anything of a Reformatory, Under a system most favoutable to reformation, I sulmit that it would take a period certainly not less than 12 months to render success at all likely. What benefit then can be expected from imprisonments varying in the majority of cases from 14 to 30 days. Indeed I believe it probable that the system of committing for short periods, far from exercising a reforming influence, has the opposite effect, and that a boy may leave prison more steeped in vice than when he entered it. It is hardly to be realised, how thorough an education in crime may be carried on in a prison where there is no separate system in existence. And further these short imprisonments render the instruction imparted totally ineffectual—a boy sent to prison for a month, may during that time be taught to repeat the Lord's Prayer, as a parrot, but I consider this as an exercise in the way of reformation very questionable, and even supposing that he has begun to be a little seriously impressed, all this is quite done away with, by the too speedy return to his usual way of life. On the whole I consider that our juvenile offenders demand a different system of treatment from that which is now being carried out, in which there is apparently nothing to deter or to reform.
At prescut there are rather inducements than otherwise to enter our establishment B., since the juveniles are in every respect more comfortable than they can be at home, and at the same time allowed free intercourse with their fellow delinquents thus leaving the place with renewed vigour, and a greater insight into crime from the evil communications of their more corrupt companions. My experience convinces me that the following course would be far more likely to produce good results. I believe that there could be no punishment to boys so deterrent as flogging, judiciously adminstered, with short separate confinement. On a first conviction I would advise a flogging and immediate release. On a second two floggings with seven or more days separate confinement between them. On & third conviction, three floggings with the necessary number of days separate contine- ment between each; this punishment to be followed by removal to a reformatory, for a period of not less than four years. The establishment in which delinquents should be detained during the period of separate confinement should be regarded more as a "House of Correction," than a prison; there should be neither peculiar dress, cutting off the hair, nor short allowance of food, but above all things there should be no communication whatever allowed with each other, and only just so much daily exercise as would be requisite for health. To establish a reformatory for the reception of those juveniles who proved too hardened to be deterred by punishment, must occasion an outlay at first, but I believe it would be a good one, since by its means we may have ultimately to pay less in the punishment of crime; and I have no doubt that a reformatory, where the inmates are kept for a lengthened period, might be so worked as to be self-supporting or nearly so. Objections might be urged to this system, on the plea that parents, to obtain a good training for their children, may connive at their entering on a course of crime in order to get them sent to the reformatory, but I think the circumstances under which they would be admited would not offer much inducement to the children themselves. It is not enough for us to punish adult criminals, and use our best efforts for their reformation, we should endeavour to check the growth of a population of juvenile offenders, who, be it remembered-will not only keep up the supply of adult criminals, but also increase that class. Of 305 boys committed during the past year, 15 could read. 240 were commit- ted for the first time, 35 for the second time, 11 for the third time, 5 for the fourth time, 4 for the fifth time, 5 for the sixth time, 4 :or the seventh, and 1 for the eighth time.
Barbados, February 24, 1873.
J. LAWRENCE GREAVES,
Chaplain to Prisons.
(Signed)
Remarks on Jurenile Reformatory “B."
I am of opinion that the short period for which the juveniles at "B" are imprisoned will prevent the present establishment ever becoming anything of a reformatory,
Under a system most favourable to reformation, it would take a period certainly not
less than twelve months to render success at all likely; what then can be expected of imprisonments varying in the majority of cases from fourteen to thirty days?
It is possible too that the system of committing for a short period, far from exercising a reforming influence, may have an opposite effect. A boy may leave the prison more steeped in vice than when he entered it; for it is hardly, I think, to be realized how thorough an education in crime may be carried on in a prison where there is nothing like a separate system in existence, and when release is looked forward to in a short time. Again, these short committals render the instruction imparted totally inefficient. A boy during a month's imprisonment, may he got to repeat the Lord's Prayer like a parrot; but I consider this as an exercise in the way of reformation very questionable. And even supposing a prisoner has begun to be a little seriously impressed, all this is quite done away with by his too soon return to his usual way of life.
On the whole, I consider that our juvenile offenders demand a different system of treatment from that which is now being carried out. As offenders for the first or second
time we should endeavour to deter them by punishment; and I am convinced from my experience of them, that no punishment would be so effectual as a couple of sound floggings judiciously administered, with an intermediate short separate confinement. On a first conviction I would advise a flogging and release. On a second conviction, two floggings, with seven or more days separate confinement between them. On a third conviction, three floggings, with the necessary number of days separate confinement between each: this punishment to be followed by removal to a reformatory for a term of not less than four years.
The establishment in which juveniles were detained during the period of their separate confinement, should be styled a "House of Correction" (not a prison); in it there should be no peculiar dress, on cutting off the hair, a sufficient supply of food; but the separate confinement should be as complete as possible; just as much daily exercise allowed as requisite for health, and no communication whatever with fellow delinquents.
The establishment of a reformatory for the reception of such juveniles as have proved too hardened to be deterred by punishment, may occasion an outlay in the first instance, but I believe it would be a wise one, as on account of it we may ultimately have to pay less in the punishment of crime. Such a reformatory, where the inmates were detained for a lengthened period, could, I have no doubt, he worked successfully, and perhaps be made, after a time, almost self-supporting. Again, I do not think that the circum- stances under which the inmates were admitted, would be such as to tempt parents to connive at their children entering on a course of crime for the purpose of benefiting by the training of the institution.
It is not enough for us to punish adult criminals, and use our efforts for their refor- mation; we should husy ourselves too on a more important, a much easier, a far more agreeable work, and that is to check the growth of a population of juvenile offenders who will not only keep up the supply of adult criminals, but also increase that class. If we neglect the duty of looking after our rising generation in the respect under consideration, we will, without doubt, in time to come, reap the fruits of our delinquency in a mass of poverty, destitution, and crime.
J. LAWRENCE GREAVES,
Chaplain to Prisons.
(No. 33. Barbados.)
Sir,
(Signed)
No. 12.
The Earl of Kimberley to Governor Rawson, C.B.
Downing Street, July 26, 1873. I HAVE received with satisfaction your despatch No. 47 of the 3rd of June,* reporting that a joint Committee of the Council and Assembly has been formed to consider the state of the Town Hall Prison.
2. The Reports by the Provost-Marshal and Chaplain, inclosed in your despatch, appear to be very carefully drawn up, and deserves the serious consideration of the Legislature.
3. I have to call your attention to the statement in page 5 of the Provost-Marshal's Report, that the partial suspension during the past two years of the regulations for the performance of shot drill
caused by the demand for labour outside the
walls of the prison, in the shape of work at the dredge and at Government House, to the
No. 11.
Page 600Page 601
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTC.O.885
2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
64
number of forty-two men per day, has hardly given an opportunity to enable us rightly to which Captain Hyde adds that to judge of its efficiency as a deterrent punishment; 152 of the Town Gaol prisoners were reconvicted in 1871-2
4. I would observe that it would be better to avoid the employment at Government House of prisoners who ought to be kept at shot drill or other strictly penal labour, as it puts the Government in the position of appearing to approve of this departure from the rules of prison discipline.
5. I have further to call your attention to the statement at page 6 of Captain Hyde's Report, that respectable female debtors are confined at Prison "A," together with short-sentenced female prisoners, and that a respectable woman may thus "find herself shut up in the same ward with the most abandoned of her sex."
6. Apart from all questions of abolishing imprisonment for debt as a measure of judicial reform, I cannot but observe that it is not justifiable for the Legislature to maintain a law which enables judgment-creditors to sue out execution of ca. sa. in cases of merely civil debt, where there is not necessarily any ingredient of culpability, if it neglects to provide a decent place of detention for incarcerated debtors, and subjects them to association with criminals.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
No. 13.
KIMBERLEY,
Governor Rawson, C.B., to the Eurl of Kimberley.—(Received July 29.)
(No. 60. Barbados.) My Lord,
Government House, Barbados, July 9, 1873. IN accordance with the instructions conveyed in your Lordship's Circular despatch of the 30th January, 1872, I have the honour to forward, in duplicate, the Return, "Criminal Statistics," prepared for the Blue Book of 1872, together with the Reports of the Attorney-General and the Inspector of Prisons, which have reached me this day.
2. I have already, in my despatch No. 47 of the 10th ultimo, brought to your Lordship's notice the decrease in the number of prisoners in confinement during the few weeks preceding that date. There has been no material change up to the present time. I am able to add my testimony to that of the Attorney-General, with regard to the absence of grave crime, and to the general character of the population of the island, both in its favourable and unfavourable aspects.
3. With regard to the Report of the Inspector of Prisons, I have been carefully watching the effect of flogging on the discipline of the gaols, and have been in com- munication with the Visiting Justice who most frequently adopts this kind of punishment. A great laxity of discipline had crept into the Town Hall Gaol, under a former Visiting Justice, whom I was obliged to relieve of his duties, and the introduction of shot drill, which is very unpalatable to the prisoners, had induced frequent and repeated attempts at malingering, or refusing to lift the shot, which required to be met by a punishment the physical effects of which the class of men found in our prisons most dread, without entertaining any sense of moral degradation from its infliction. The number of lashes given is generally small, from 9 to 12 or 15; and I anticipate that such punishments, which have already become less frequent, will continue to decrease, but I shall direct the remarks of the Inspector to be communicated to the Visiting Justices.
I have, &c.
(Signed) RAWSON W. RAWSON.
65
Inclosure 1 in No. 13. Criminal Statistics, 1872.
I.-OFFENCES.
TABLE showing the Number of Offences reported to the Police or the Magistrates
Total
Number of Offences Offences against the
Reported.
Person.
during 1872.
Prædial Larceny
•
7,002
1,349
1.466
Offences against Property (other than Other Offencee. Prædial Larceny).*
817
8,370
By Prial Larceny" is meant the offence prevalent in the sugar-growing and coolie-importing colonies of rubbing provision grounds and homesteads. It need not be filled up in colonies where such crime is not prevalent; and, it being struck out, any other prevalent crime may be substituted—as cattle stealing, arson, &c.
+ Include both offences against rights of property and injuries to the subjects of property.
II.-APPREHENSIONS AND SUMMONSES.
TABLE showing the Number of Persons brought before the Magistrates' Courts by Arrest Warrant or Summons for Offences, and how their Cases were disposed of in the Magistrates' Courts.
--
Offences against the person. Prædial larceny Offences against property
other than prædial larceny Offences against Master and Servants Act, including Acts relating to inden tured coolies
Other offences
Number Discharged for want of Proscention by the Party complaining. or for want of Evidence.
Number of Cases Dismissed
on the Merits.
Number of Persons summarily Convicted.
Number of Persous Committed for Trial in the Superior Courts.
124
719
139
104
1,215 893
26
19
30
281
322
58
18
240
27
1,166
2,551
Total number of persons
summoned or appre hended
338
2.276
5,224
:
125
NOTE-Purely civil cases in which Magistrates exercise jurisdiction are not to be included in this or the following Table.
* See foot note (†) above.
HIL-SUMMARY CONVICTIONS.
TABLE showing the Number of Summary Convictions for various Classes of Offences, and the kind of Punishments Inflicted.
Punishments.
Total Number of
Offences.
Assaults
and other
Malicious
Offences
against the
Injuries ¦
tu
! Property.
Person.
Predial Larceny.
Offences
i
against Pro
perty other
thian Malicious
Injuries to
Property or
Pradial Larceny.
Offences against Offences against
Masters and
Revenue Acis,
Highway Acts,
Health Arts,
Servants Acts,
and other Acts including Acts
relating to the
!relating to
Indentured Coolies.
Other Offences.
Serial Economy
of the Colony.
Fine..
3,554
1,004
18
219
1
1,387
249
676
Imprisonment, in lieu of fine or
surety
248
104
58
3
65
14
4
Peremptory im-
prisonment
1,344
116
2
697
175
12
311
Whipping
Bound over with
or without sureties
30G
282
Total
5,452 1,506
20
9741
179
1,494
264
24
1,015
Where there has been an appeal from the Magistrate's decision the case is to be entered as finally decided, and not necessarily according to the Magistrate's original decision.
(128)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.