1872 — Page 167

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Questions.

V. How are the prisoners classified?

VI. Is penal labor-that is, labor by treadmill, crank, or shot-drill-in force ?

VII. If so, during what periods of imprisonment, in respect of what classes of prisoners, and during how many hours, is such penal labor enforced? In stating hours of treadwheel labor, give, first, the total time on and off at the wheel, &c.; secondly, the length of spells and intervals of rest.

VIII. What kind of labor, other than penal labor, is in use?

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

1. On what kind of work they are so employed. 2. Now are they surpervised?

3. How many escapes of prisoners, while being employed beyond the gaol, have taken place during each of the last three years?

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

X. What was the total annual cost of the prison during the year 1879?

XI. What was the annual amount of the prisoners' earnings during 1872?

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

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

XIV. Is there, or are there, any Chaplain or Cha- plains of any, and what, religions persuasions?

Answers.

According to the nature of their sentences, their nationality, and occasionally according to their habits 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 at night, on the works, and in the vards, as much as possible.

There is no tread-mill labor, but shot-drill, crank labor and stone-tweaking is in force. A few of the prisoners are employed by the Surveyor General's De- partment outside the Prison.

The hours of labor for all prisoners in this Colony throughout the year are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. the prisoners being allowed one hour for dinner, When penal labor is resorted to, men on the crank liave to complete 14,000 turns per day; man at shot-drill 2 hours per day with stone breaking alternately through- out the day.

A few at road-making, &c., and washing clothes; also as carpenters for repairs in the prison, &e.

A few on the public Rouds.

The Chinese prisoners are worked in Chain-gangs of 10 or 12 men and are supervised by West Indian and European Turnkeys armed with Rifles, European prisoners are never worked in irons, and the guard over them is composed entirely of Europeans unarined.

In the year 1870 the number of escapes was 4; in in 1871, 7; in 1872, 0; in ali 20 escapes during the past three years have occurred outside the gaol from the working parties.

No estimate of the prisoners' labor on the roads is made in this Deparment, but the Surveyor General is of opinion that each prisoner's work is worth from 15 to 17 cents per day. The earnings of all other prisoners is paid into the Colonial Treasury,

The total annual cost of the prison for 1872 was $41,832.26, (£8,715.1.1), (ie, not calculating any monies reimbursed.}

Not estimated. 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 is burning in all passages and corridors. There are Turnkeys on duty in all the passages and corridors throughout the night.

The number of prisoners punished for Gaul offences, during the year 1872, was 401; of these 88 received corporal punishment, 298 had part of their food stoppel, and 15 were ordered to wear double irons for short periods.

There is no Chaplain attached to the prison, but the Colonial Chaplain holds service once every week. The Revd. Dr. Lege, London Church Mission, also holds service once a week and is assisted by Chinesa Clergymen.