1878 — Page 182

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Questions.

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

Answers.

The number of prisoners reported for prison offences during the year 1878 was 3,973; out of this number 73 were discharged, 614 cautioned, and 3,286 punished in the manner detailed below, viz.:-

411 on solitary confinement

37

27

J

1,593

17

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11 rice & water, 2 meals.

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5 bread & water, 2

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320 rice & water, I meal.

bread & water, rice & water,

479 had their supper meal stopped.

161 were ordered separate confinement.

sent to crank-labour.

103

40

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27

ordered to have extra shot-drill. 26 sent to hard labour from light work. 29 had pork ration stopped.

14 ,,congee meal stopped.

17 fish stopped, 1 meal.

12

9

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22

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2 meals.

3 days.

short periods,

13 received corporal punishment for breach of Gaol

discipline.

3,286

XIV. Is there or are there, any Chaplain or Chap- lains of any and what religious persuasions?

XV. Are religious services regularly, or otherwise, performed for the benefit of the prisoners of any, and

any, what religious persuasion ?

if

XVI. Are Roman Catholic Priests and Dissenting Ministers allowed free access to prisoners of their own persuasion, and are they apprised, when prisoners of their respective persuasions enter the Prison?

XVII. What provision is made for the education of prisoners?

XVIII. On what conditions are remissions of impri- sonment granted ?

During the absence on leave of the Colonial Chaplain the Revd. E. Davys (Acting Colonial Chaplain) regularly attended the Prison and officiated twice a week, viz, Thursdays and Sundays, and also visited the sick when required.

The Colonial Chaplain (Revd. R. H. Kidd) since his return to the Colony holds a service every

Wednes- day, and on Sundays a service is held by Mr. Coan (Army and Navy Scripture Reader) with occasional visits during the week to the sick prisoners.

The Revd. Mr. Lamont, Minister of the Union Church, held a service every Sunday during the early part of the year to the Presbyterian and other Dissent- ing prisoners; since his retirement the service has been regularly performed by a Clergyman of the London Missionary Society.

The Prison is also visited by Roman Catholic Priests, who hold services for both European and Chinese pri soners of that persuasion.

All Dissenting Ministers are allowed free access to the Prison at such hours as do not interfere with the discipline of the Prison. Intimation is immediately sent to any Minister or Priest, if at any time a prisoner expresses a desire to see him.

None; but all are supplied with religious and other useful books.

Remissions of sentences have been granted under a system which was taken into consideration in May, 1877, viz., all prisoners sentenced to a term of incarceration of 12 months and over have been granted a remission of one third of their sentence, pro- vided that their conduct and character during their stay in Gaol was good; this system proving to have the desired effect upon the longer sentenced prisoners has been acted upon in most instances; others have been granted on medical grounds, &c., and some under special local circumstances.