1879 — Page 183

Questions.

VI. Is penal labour-that is, labour by tread-mill, crook, or shot-drill-in force?

vri. 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?

4. How are the profits of their labour 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 1879 ?

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- ting the night?

Anamera,

All the prisoners of the above classes are separated at night, on the works, and in the yards, as much as possible.

There is no tread-mill labour, but shot-drill, orank- 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 15,300 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; washing, grass and coir mat making, bed and mat making, tailoring, shoemaking, carpentering, cleaning, and executing all incidental repairs to the Gaol buildings.

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

Nil.

No prisoners have escaped during the last six years.

Nil.

Deducting the amount due or received for the sub- sistence of Naval and Military Court Martial prisoners, debtors, &c., during the year, $1,196.63 and $1,520.83 representing the prisoners' earnings, the total expen- diture of the Prison during the year 1879 was $41,818.25.

The amount of prisoners' earnings during the year 1879 was $1,620.63, being the proceeds of oakum- picking grass and coir mat making, this being gene- rally the only profitable work carried on in the Gaol. The greater number of the prisoners being kept to ponal labour.

A few of the longer sentenced prisoners have been instructed as far as practicable in carpenter- ing, &c., but very little of this work can be carried on owing to the want of space in the yards. Old rope has been purchased from the Naval Yard and Store- keepers of the Colony for picking into oakum. 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,

The dormitories are not lighted, but gas is burning in all passages and corridors,

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

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