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insecurity to life and property in the Colony and neighbouring waters. The Chinese prisoners in this Gaol while exposed to all these evil influences have on the other hand nothing done for their improve- ment. The little that is done is to teach some of the confirmed criminals honest trades. This cannot
be done for all; there is no space for proper workshops. The bulk of the Prisoners have to be employed in the monotonous and profitless labour of shot and stone carrying varied by oakum picking. Nothing is done to expand or elevate their minds; no tuition of any sort is provided; no one is appointed to visit them and encourage them with kindly words of human sympathy. A native Missionary indeed preaches in Chinese on Sundays in the yard-this is all.
With such a state of matters would it not appear to be the duty of the Colony at least to provide for its prisoner a building fit to preserve the health, decency and morality of the inmates, to save them from the fatal and corrupting influence of the worst criminals and to give a reasonable prospect of weaning them from crime and teaching them self-respect and industry.
Prisoners and their Discipline.
6. During the year there have been 11,756 Prison Offences to an average of 566, giving a little over 20 offences for each Prisoner. The great proportion of Prison Offences are committed by short sentence Prisoners. Prisoners entitled to earn remission are generally careful to avoid Prison Offences. On the last day of the year, of 287 Prisoners sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment or over, 93 have been clear of punishment for more than three months and of these 13 had been clear for upwards of a year.
7. I append as usual Returns showing the number of the most common offences committed by Prisoners, similar Returns for the last three years being shown alongside for the sake of comparison.
Industrial Labour.
8. There has been a decrease in the industrial earnings during the year owing chiefly to the increased cost of paper stuff for oakum picking, but industrial work is greatly hampered by absolute want of space. The usual Returns are appended.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
The Honourable FRANCIS FLEMING, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary.
Your most obedient Servant,
A. GORDON,
Superintendent.
(A.)
VICTORIA GAOL.
Return of Reports for talking, &c., in the years, 1887, 1888, 1889 and 1890.
MONTH.
1887. Daily average number in Prison, 584.
1888.
1889.
Daily average number Daily average number
in Prison, 531.
in Prison, 581.
1890.
Daily average number in Prison, 566.
January,
146
355
105
196
February,
75
820
150
181
March,
97
362
132
243
April,...
408
380
142
212
May,
963
402
278
290
June,
918
296
205
260
July,
500
258
220
520
August,
530
225
167
349
September,
558
220
219
304
October,
429
222
130
243
November,..
184
328
118
135
December,
113
277
220
157
Total,..
4,921
3,645
2,086
3,090
A. GORDON,
Superintendent.
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