73

L—A

5. Work done by Prisoners. (1.) None. (2.) (a.) Quarrying, stone-breaking, filling tramway wagons, and such like, (b.) No. (3.) (a.) Cooking, tailoring, boot-making, wardsmen, clerk, whitewashing, painting, and general repairs when requisite —males; knitting, washing, and needlework—females. (b.) City of Dunedin and suburbs; road-making, quarrying, stone-breaking, reclamation works, building, gardening, blacksmiths' and carpenters' work, (c.) None; gangs strictly guarded by warders, (d.) None can be thoroughly taught, but many are discharged qualified as assistant carpenters, blacksmiths, tailors, shoemakers, quarrymen, &c, and if so disposed could earn a livelihood. (4.) Hours of labour here are much longer than in any other prison in the colony. Gangs working at a distance leave by early trains between 6 aud 7 a.m., and are at work when prisoners in other gaols are leaving for daily employment, returning in evening as trains suit; those not at a distance leave at 7.15 a.m., and return at 5 p.m. After supper, at 5.30, prisoners are mustered and locked up for the night; some attend school, and all others are provided with lights for reading, if they so desire, until 8 p.m. (5.) (a.) Skilled labour—carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, painters, &c, £2,871. (b.) Miscellaneous labour—road-making, quarrying, stone-breaking, reclamation, &c, £34,785 Bs. 6d. (c.) Miscellaneous labour —gardening at Botanical Gardens, £3,363 ss; duties on station —tailors and shoemakers, £1,024 18s.; cooks, wardsmen, and clerk, £2,313 12s. 6d.; wood-cutters, £176 2s. 6d.; wardswoman, needlewomen, and knitters, £3,011 16s. 3d; washerwomen, £772 ss. Od. Total value, £48,318 Bs. 3d; average earnings per head in each year—lB73, £73 Os. 5Jd.; 1874, £72 19s. 4|d.; 1875, £78 16s. lid.; 1876, £79 Is. Gid.; 1877, £72 12s. lOd. (6.) None; but on application to the Visiting Justices a prisoner when due for discharge, if destitute, is permitted to work for not longer than six days, at ss. per day. (7.) To engage them during their term of service at regular and constant work, under well-paid and competent tradesmen, overseers on public works of the colony, such as construction of breakwaters, improvement of harbours, deepening of channels, drainage of swamps, dredging rivers, clearing tracks, and forming roads. To enable prisoners to endure a continuance of sustained labour, it would be most unwise to starve or stint them to scanty rations, as by such means the bodily frame is rendered unhealthy, and demoralization of the mind must result. Their rations and treatment might, however, be graduated in proportion to the work effected, and the alacrity, or otherwise, with which it is performed. (8.) The object of punishment is reformation, and although the Prisons Act of 1873 empowers Visiting Justices to inflict additional imprisonment or solitary confinement, yet the reformation required cannot be effected but with the assistance of a well-nourished body. The late Sir Joshua Jebb, Director of Convict Prisons, Great Britain, when examined by a Committee of the House of Lords, stated : " There are only two ways of dealing with prisoners; either drive or lead them. If you drive them, the public suffer from the effects of the demoralization ; and if you lead them, they gain by a large proportion being reformed." (9.) This question is answered by reply to No. 7. (10.) None. (11.) No. (12.) No. 6. What Differences other than in Labour made between Penal-servitude and Hard-labour Men T None. Penal work, which comprises shot-drill, treadmill, and crank, may truly be said to be dreary, wearying, discouraging, and unproductive, like " Lowering buckets into empty wells, And wasting life in drawing nothing up." 7. Special Provisions, if any, for Juvenile Offenders and Females, and Lunatic Prisoners. Juvenile offenders and first-conviction females, or respectable women awaiting trial and on remand, are kept apart from convicted female prisoners. Amongst incorrigibles there is no separation. Lunatics only in transitu to Asylum. 8. Food and Indulgences. (1.) Ration scales, vide New Zealand Gazette, No. 22, April 13, 1876. (2.) Reduction as punishment to Scale No. 2, or to No. 3, with solitary confinement. Increase none. Scales Nos. 1 and 2c, male or female, never used. (3.) It is to be feared not. (4.) Yes, one plug per week to each male prisoner, on condition of good conduct and industry. Stopped as a punishment to offenders. (5.) Tea and milk. Do not know of any special physical indulgence coveted. Irons dreaded, also deprivation of weekly allowance of tobacco. Other physical restraints than irons unknown in this Gaol. (6.) Yes ; visits and interviews which prisoners are allowed to have with their friends and relatives exercise an apparent moral influence. (7.) No. 9. Medical and Hygeian. See Medical Officer's report and replies appended. 10. Religious and other Instruction offered (1.) Total numbers for five years with averages: Church of England 1,488, average 29760; Presbyterian 1,025, average 205 ; AVesleyan 20, average 4 ; Independent 3, average '40 ; other Pro11—I. 4.