1877 — Page 173

( 169 )

Questions.

VI. Is penal labour-that is, labour by tread-mill, 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 labour enforced? In stating hours of tread-wheel labour, give first, the total time on and off the wheel, etc.; secondly, the length of spells and intervals of rest.

VIII. What kind of labour, other than penal labour 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. How are they supervised?

3. How many escapes of prisoners, while being em- ployed beyond the Gaol, have taken place during each of the last three years?

How are the profits of their labour accounted for?

X. What was the total annual cost of the Prison during the year 1877?

XI. What was the annual amount of the prisoners' earnings during 1877?

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

Answers.

There is no tread-mill labour, but shot-drill, crank- labour, stone-breaking, stone-carrying and oakum- picking are in force. None of the prisoners are now employed outside the Gaol.

The hours of labour for all prisoners in this Colony throughout the year are from 7 A.M. to 4.30 P.M., one hour being allowed for dinner. When penal labour is resorted to, men on the crank have to complete revo- lutions not exceeding 15,800 per day; European pri- soners at shot-drill do 8 hours and Chinese prisoners 4 hours per day, in spells of half an hour at a time, with stone-breaking, stone-carrying, or oakum-picking during the intervals.

Washing clothes and bed making for the Civil and Lock Hospitals; mat making for the several Depart- ments, scraping and painting iron bedsteads for the Police Department; also washing, bed and mat making, tailoring, shoemaking, carpentering, cleaning, and as far as possible executing all incidental repairs to the Gaol buildings.

No prisoners are employed outside the Guol since November, 1873.

Nil.

No prisoners have escaped during the last three years.

Nil.

Deducting the amount due or received for the sub- sistence of Naval and Military Court Martial prisoners, debtors, foreign seamen and incidental collections during the past year, $1,068.43 (or £222.11.94), and $1,031.83 (or £214.19.34), representing prisoners' earnings, the total expenditure of the Prison during the year 1877 was $20,015.03 (or £6,044.15.114).

The amount of prisoners' earnings during the year 1877 was $1,031.83, being proceeds of oakum-picking and mat-making, which was the only profitable work carried on in the Gaol, the prisoners being kept as much as possible to strictly penal labour. Old rope is supplied by or purchased from the Naval Yard and occasionally by the Storekeepers of the town for pick- ing into cakum. The earnings of the prisoners on being collected are paid into the Treasury.

The average time during which the prisoners sleep, is about 9 hours in 24.

is burning

The dormitories are not lighted, but

in all passages and corridors.

gus

Turnkeys are on duty in the Gaol throughout the night, and patrol the corridors and passages constantly.