1871 — Page 155

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Questions.

V. How are the prisoners classified?

VI. 1s penal labor-that is, Inbor by tread-mill, crank, or slot-drill--in force ?

VII. If so, during what periods of imprisonment, in respect of what classes of prisoners, and during how many hours, is guchi penal labor enforced ? In stating hours of trend-wheel libor, givo, first, the total time où n! off at the wheel, &c.; secondly, the length of spells and intervals of rest.

VIII. Wint kind of labor, other thinn penul labor, is in use?

IX. If the prisoners are employed beyond the walls of the gnol state-

1. On what kind of work they are so employed.

2. How are they supervised?

3. How many escupes of prisoners, while being employed beyond the gnol, have taken place during ench of the last three yours?

4. How the profits of their labor are accounted for?

X. What was the total annual cost of the prison. during the year 1871 ?

XI. What was the annual amount of the prisoners' earnings during 18717

XII. What are the number of tho hours allotted for sleep? And, if sleep is in association, are tho dormitories lighted; and how often are they patrolled during the night?

XIII. What wero tho number and nature of tho punishments inflicted for offences committed by prisoners undergoing imprisonment?

Answers,

According to the nature of their sentences, their nationality and occasionally according to their linbits and temperament, as follows, viz. :—

Europeans, Indians and Chinese. Debtors,

Misdemeanants,

Penal Servitude,

Prisoners on Remand and for Trial.

All the prisoners of the above classes are separated nt night, on the works, and in the yards us much ne possible.

There is no treul-mill labor, but shot-drill and crank labor is in force. However, most of the prisoners are employed by the Surveyor General's Departinent outsido the prison, repairing Ronds, &c., &c.

The hour of luber for all prisoners in this Colony throughout the year are froni 7 A.M. to 5 r.. the prisoners being allowed one hour for dinner. When penul labor is resorted to, men on the crank have to complete 11,000 turns per day; men at shot-drill 2 hours per day with Oukum picking and stone-bronking alternitely throughout the day. There is no tread-mill.

Most of the prisoners are employed Road-making, &c., under the Surveyor General, alsa nt Shoe-muking, Tailor- ing. Mat-moking, and as Carpenters, Bucksmiths, washing clothes, cutting stones, &c., &r.

Many of the prisoners are employed outside of the prison.

On the Public Houds.

The Chinese prisoners are worked in Chain Gungs of 10 or 12 men, and are supervised by West Indinn und European Turnkeys armed with Rifles,

European prisoners are never worked in irons and the guard over them is composed entirely of Europeñus (usually old Soldiers) unarmed.

In the year 1869 the mumber of esenpes was 1 in 1870, 4; and in the your 1871, 7; in alt 12 escupes during the past 3 years liave occurred ontsido the ghol from the working parties,

No Estimata of the prisoners' labor on the Ronds is mado in this Department, but the Surveyor General is of opinion that each prisoner's work is worth from 15 to 17 cents per day. The curnings of all other prisoners is puid into the Colonial Treasury,

The total annual cost of the prison for 1871 was $39,798.18, (8,201.5.9), ie, not calculating any monies re-imbursed.

For answer to this question see No. 4 of question IX.

The average number of hours that the prisoners sleep is about 9 in 24 hours.

The dormitories are not lighted with gas, but gas burning in all passages and corridors. There are Turn- keys où duty in all the passages and corridors through- out the night.

The number of prisoners punished for Guol Offences, during the year 1871 was 254, of tluso 62 received corporal punishment, 148 had part of their food stopped, 19 were ordered to wear double irons for short periods, and 25 European prisoners were ordered to sleep

without beds.