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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O.

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885

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

3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

East Bank District having been sent to town in 1873, instead of to Mahaica as in 1872, from want of accommodation at the latter prison, and also to the reception in the gaol of the same class of prisoners from the West Coast District, whom in 1872 it was the practice to send to Fellowship, until half that prison was given over to the police as barracks last year, and 32 cells taken away.

The increase in the number of committals for breaches of the peace and assaults, from 413 in 1872 to 1,342 in 1873, may be attributed in a very great degree to the poverty which prevailed last year among both the Creoles and the immigrants from the West India Islands, and the consequent inability of those who were convicted of these offences to pay the fines imposed upon them, and who, in default of paying, went to gaol. As I had occasion to report at the time, no fewer than 34 men and 15 women were committed to prison, between the 1st and 27th of November last, by the Police Magistrate of Georgetown alone, for non-payment of fines of from 1 dollar to 5 dollars- sums which, in former years, would have been paid at once.

There is not any very marked increase in the committals for using indecent and abusive language.

The committals for petty thefts were 918 in 1878, as against 680 in 1872. I have reason to believe this increase arises in same measure from the systematic robberies of sugar and rum by the crews of the droghers which bring the produce of the estates to town. My experience in this respect warrants me in saying that the cargo of nearly every vessel of this class is broached in the course of transit, and some, though perhaps not always a great deal of it, stolen; and I am afraid this kind of depredation is likely to continue as long as Colony craft are allowed to land their crews on arrival in the river, at any hour of the day or night, instead of being compelled to anchor in the stream until boarded and searched by an officer of Customs or police.

The increase of committals for breaches of the revenue laws, from 3 in 1872 to 16 in 1873, may be traced to rather a singular cause. In the former year 1 Coolie and 2 Creoles only were imprisoned for these offences, but in 1873 4 Coolies and 6 Chinese were committed, chiefly for retailing without licences, rum, which they had purchased from the large dealers in Georgetown at such low rates as enabled them to undersell the country shop-keepers.

Owing to the causes already referred to there was a great increase in vagrancy in 1873 as compared with 1872. From the 1st to the 20th November last year 48 persons were committed as vagrants in Georgetown alone, and I believe the excess under the head of other offences" in the Returns may be attributed to offences of this class.

Fewer prisoners were committed in 1873 than in 1872 for offences against the Mutiny and Militia Acts.

Fewer also were referred for trial to the Supreme Criminal Court during the former year, but there was an increase in the number brought before the Inferior Criminal Court in 1873.

Of the 4,765 prisoners received, 4,227 were committed for three months and under, 106 for more than three months and under one year, and 95 for more than one year and not exceeding two years.

The daily average number of prisoners in the Gaol in 1873 was 177, the highest number was on the 19th of November, when there were 318 males and 45 females, and the lowest number on the 24th of February, namely 364 males and 28 females.

Number, Native Countries, and Offences of Prisoners received into the Gaol in 1873, under Summary Convictions.-By Return A, it also appears that of the 3,579 male and $94 female prisoners, the Indian immigrants furnished the largest numbers. viz., 1,388 males and 318 females, and next the Creole population, viz., 1,110 males and 353 females -but taking their relative numbers in the Colony the proportion of prisoners afforded by the immigrants from Barbados is the greatest, namely, 568 males and 195 females- on the other hand the number of immigrants from Madeira committed to prison in the course of the year is remarkably small, only 25 males and 5 females.

The most numerous offences have been breaches of the Labour Laws, viz,: by 693 males and 280 females (chiefly indentured immigrants)-common assaults and breaches of the peace by 1,002 males and 340 females, and petty thefts by 862 men and 56

women.

Employment of Prisoners.-Return B (appended) gives in detail the manner in which the prisoners have been employed in 1873.

It will be seen that they have furnished 82,087 days' labour, of which—

42,689 have been given to the sea defences, &c.

7,788 to public institutions.

28,138 (including 9,530 days by the female prisoners), to the requirements of

the prison.

3,472 to the Town Council and other persons.

82,087

No account is kept of the value of this labour, but estimating it at the low rate of

a shilling per day per prisoner, it will not be much less than 20,000 dollars-the total annual expenses of the prison being. I believe, about 33,000 dollars.

During the year the Gaol bakery has baked 286.0024 lbs. of bread, which has been distributed as follows, at a cost of under 44 cents per lb.

To the Colonial Hospital

Georgetown Giuol

Alms' House

Orphan Asylum

Sold to officers of the prison

Total

Lbs. 124,5384

96,315

39,2511

7.954

17,943

286,002

Besides the productive labour, 14,658 days' labour was applied to shot drill.

I have recently reported that after 10 or 14 days exercise at this description of hard labour it appears to lose its effect as a punishment, and the number of prisoners so employed has been lately reduced.

I believe arrangements are being made for the introduction of the Crank into the prison.

Escapes. There were 2 escapes from within the walls of the Georgetown Gaol in 1873, and 13 of prisoners working at the sea defences, and elsewhere outside.

The inquiries into the circumstances attending these escapes outside, go to show that the prisoners working, especially in places covered with brushwood and remote from assistance, are insufficiently guarded; the overseers report that under such circumstances if one of their party starts off-they are quite helpless as regards pursuit, as they cannot leave the rest of the prisoners-to remedy this, it has been proposed that each working party of 10 or more should have two overseers in charge-though such an arrangement -would add considerably to the cost of the prison staff.

Sanitary condition of the Georgetown Gaol.—The admissions into the Gaol Hospital during the year were 2,535, and the average daily number in hospital 59-the deaths were 14, chiefly from diseases of the respiratory organs, as shown in Return A.

In 1872 there were only 5 deaths. During the first ten months of the year Dr. Hatson, the Gaol Surgeon, was absent on leave, and his place was filled by Dr. Watkins. I hope to receive the medical report of these Officers in time to attach them to this report.

Religious Instructions.—The Gaol Chaplains have been unremitting in their visits and attention to the prisoners.

Dietary. The dietary at the Georgetown Gaol as fixed in 1870 has proved, 1 think, rather low; the same scale was laid down for the penal settlement at the same date, but it has been since altered there twice and increased: perhaps both scales might be revised with advantage, and one uniform dietary fixed for all the prisons in the Colony.

Punishments. No instances of misconduct on the part of the prisoners occurred in the Gaol during the year, which called for corporal punishment, but 231 males and 13 females were punished by solitary confinement and in the stocks.

Four executions took place within the walls of the prison in 1873.

District Prisons at Mahaica and Fellowship.-These district prisons were established in 1868 for the sole reception of indentured male immigrants convicted for breaches of the Immigration Ordinance.

The prisoners are worked under the provisions of the 166th section of the present Ordinance No. 7 of 1873, which enacts" that the indentured immigrant shall perform in prison a number of tasks equal to the number of days for which he shall have been imprisoned."

Buildings. The buildings at Malaica contain 36 cells, and that at Fellowship 64, but one-half of the latter as well as the hospital are now occupied as Police barracks.

Staff-These prisons are also under the superintendence of the Sheriff of Demerara, and each is in charge of a keeper fa sergeant of police), who also has charge of the police station at the same place as the prison.

There is one overseer at Malaica and two at Fellowship, and a visiting Surgeon to each Gaol.

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Prisoners. The number of prisoners received at Mahaica in 1873 was 495, and at Fellowship 674; of those committed to Mahaica 46 had been convicted once before, 4 twice before, and 15 thrice and oftener; while of those sent to Fellowship, 63 had been convicted once before, 36 twice before, and 4 thrice and oftener.

All the prisoners were committed for terms varying from 7 days to 2 months, and chiefly in default of payment of the fines imposed upon them.

Native Countries and Offences of Prisoners. The prisoners committed to the district prisons were chiefly natives of India and a few Chinese; and their offences were principally idleness, and desertion from the estates to which they are indentured.

Employment of Prisoners.-The prisoners at Mahaica and Fellowship are exclusively employed at field work on estates near the prisons, which pay the Colony at the rate of 24 cents per task for every task performed by a prisoner. I believe it will be found that on an average each prisoner does not perform more than half a task a-day; but it must be recollected that nearly all of them have been convicted for not working at all, or at least very little, on the estates to which they have been indentured, yet these prisons, according to the Auditor-General's accounts, are, I understand, nearly self- supporting.

Escapes. In 1873 there were 13 escapes from the field at Mahaica and 16 at Fellowship. The remarks with reference to the escapes of prisoners sent out from the Georgetown Gaol apply to prisoners at the District Prisons, who are sometimes placed at work in high canes where not more than two or three men can be kept in sight at once by the overseer.

Sanitary State of the District Prisons.-In 1873, 34 prisoners were treated in hos- pital at Mahaica, and 29 at Fellowship; only one death occurred at the latter, and none at the former prison.

Punishments. At Malaica, 19 prisoners, and at Fellowship 32, were punished in the stocks, and by shot drill, for persistent idleness.

I believe the system adopted at the District Prisons is admitted to work satisfactorily; before its introduction there was great difficulty in getting anything like a fair day's work from an idle immigrant.

Reduced food and solitary confinement only made him less physically capable of performing a day's task; now he remains in Gaol until he has completed a certain num. ber of tasks irrespective of the time he may take in doing so. For instance, a man sentenced to 14 days' hard labour, remains until he has performed 14 tasks, whether he takes only 7, or 14, or even 28 days to complete them.

The Honourable E. N. Walker, Government Secretary.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

J. BRUMELL, Sheriff of Demerara.