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Convict Conditions
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327. WARDERS.—I have always found the Warders a very humane set of men. They have always treated me well. 328. WORK.—There is not enough work in the goal for the prisoners to do. Very little work would satisfy me, but I could do with a good deal more than we get. I would, at least, like to be sufficiently employed. No. 10521, examined. 329. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Assault and robbery; 10 years. 330. PERSONAL.—It is the first time that I have been in goal, and, for a first-timer, I think the sentence is severe. My case was one where I was the driver who drove a cab which conveyed three men, one of whom was assaulted and robbed by the other two. They never caught the other two men. I knew nothing of the affair. I had only just come out of the hospital, and was driving that day for the first time. I have been in the colony about two years and eight months. 331. REMISSIONS.—I am working in the drive, for which work special remission time is allowed; but I understand that the ordinary allowance of remission for good conduct is not added to that. I complain of loss of remission for insubordination, when I got four days dark cell and six days light cell. 332. DIET.—The food is not such as I should select outside; but I find it sufficient. I cannot compare it with the food which may be supplied in other prisons, as I have had no experience elsewhere. 333. CHARACTER.—I had a good character with the people for whom I worked in Victoria. [Addresses given.] No. 10547, examined. 334. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Receiving stolen property; five years. 335. PERSONAL.—I have no complaint against the officials of the goal; but I think my sentence was severe, if not illegal. I was convicted on the uncorroborated evidence of an accomplice, who pleaded guilty. 336. LIBRARY.—Confirms the evidence of previous witnesses. 337. DIET.—The food is not properly cooked or served. It is messed about. It is a mistake to supply gruel in the middle of the day, when the men are coming in heated from work. 338. REMISSIONS.—The system of remissions is not satisfactory or intelligible to prisoners. New remission regulations have been framed; but they do not appear to be by Act of Parliament. [Witness informed that the scale of remissions in operation was approved by His Excellency the Governor in Council.] 339. LABOUR.—I am working in the pump-yard. It is no real work at all; only a few minutes in each hour. We fill up our time with chess and draughts. There is no punishment so far as the labour is concerned. I am a mat-maker by trade, and could teach the other prisoners to make mats. 340. PRISONER'S RESOURCES.— I am not destitute. I have about £200 or more coming to me from my mother's estate. It will be paid to me at the goal shortly, so that, on discharge, I shall have funds. 341.INNOCENCE OF No.3195.—So far as I know No.3195, who was convicted on the charge of receiving the stolen goods in respect of which I have been sentenced, is innocent. He could have had no reason to believe that the goods were stolen, and did not know what was in the parcel which he undertook to take charge of for a few hours. 342. EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.—There are really no educational facilities in the goal. I think it would be a good thing if prisoners, who cared to do so, were allowed to supply themselves with books approved by the Chaplain, such books to become the property of the goal library on the discharge of the prisoner. No. 3049, examined. 343. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Idle and disorderly; three months. 344. DIET.—The potatoes are better since the commission sat. To-day they are giving us bread instead of potatoes. The potatoes sent into the prison are very old. The meat is very bad, occasionally containing congealed blood in veins. It is not putrid, but it smells like diseased meat. I do not expect to be pampered with first-class food, but our meat is really often downright bad. It seems to me to come from old diseased cows, who are killed out of charity. If the bread is sour, you must eat it or go without. It is often light weight. 345. COMPLAINT OF WARDER POND.—On one occasion I saw Warder Pond push the lunatic Isaacs violently into his cell. Afterwards Isaacs appeared with a severe scalp wound, which he said was inflicted by Pond during the disturbance. On one occasion the same Warder Pond, when I had occasion to speak to him about the clothing supplied to venereal patients, was most offensive in his mode of addressing me. I made a complaint about it. 346. VENEREAL PATIENTS.—There are prisoners in the goal who are suffering from a variety of venereal disorders. I am myself under treatment for gonorrhoea. I do not think it is right that patients suffering from gonorrhoea should bathe in the same place as the syphilitic subjects, which is now the case, and make use of the same towels. Five men go into bathe at the same time. Each is supplied with a towel. After use, the towels are simply rinsed out in hit water and hung out to dry. Next week you may have to use the towel of a syphilitic patient. The men, whilst bathing, are shut up together. I have never seen any misconduct among them on such occasions. It was on one of these occasions that I complained to Warder Pond that he had not given me my right clothing, and it was then that he was very offensive to me, because I did not want to wear the clothes of another patient. 347. MEDICAL.—I was asked when I came into the goal to report any contagious or infectious disease from which I might be suffering. I did so next day, and have been under treatment for two months. I am not cured yet. No. 10520, examined. 348. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Breaking and entering; 10 years penal servitude. 349. AGE.—29. 350. PERSONAL.—I have had experience of several goals. I have done a twelve months' sentence, two of six months, and one of six years. 351. DIET.—The food at Fremantle is bad. I cannot compare it with that supplied in the prisons of the Eastern colonies, expect by saying it is like a sixpenny restaurant after Menzies' hotel; but the food here wholesome enough. 352. ROUTINE AT DARLINGHURST.—On admission at Darlinghurst the prisoner has his bath first, and is then medically examined. He then goes into wing "A", where he is shaved and his hair cut; but Jews are exempt from shaving. "A" is the division for men in transit, after which the prisoners are grafted off to other divisions and classified according to the number of previous convictions. Short sentence men are kept separate. The doctor goes around to visit the prisoners in separate confinement; otherwise, prisoners are expected to notify if they want the doctor, who will come to them at any hour. 353. MEDICAL.—I have had typhoid fever in the goal. I contracted it after my arrival here. I think I got it owing to the insanitary condition of the pump-yard. Three or four other prisoners were down with typhoid at the same time. 354. CELLS AT NIGHT.—To cover the pot, when there is occasion to use it, a rug must be thrown over it, as it cannot be emptied at night. The same rug is used to take our dinners off in the day. Forks are not supplied, but knives are given. The latter are more dangerous. The cell space is small. A Darlinghurst cell is three or four times as big as a Fremantle cell. 355.PETITION.—I should like to petition for a reduction of sentence, and then, if my ticket permitted it, I have the means to go to any part of the world. I would like to go back to my friends in Europe. No. 2308, examined. 356. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Disorderly; three months. I am going out in a few days. 357. PERSONAL,—I am a man of hasty temper; and have been unfortunate enough to come into conflict with the authorities a great many times, receiving a number of sentences to the dark cells, as the record books will show. I complain that I have been treated with great severity on the most frivolous charges, but admit having been very violent, and knocked the warders about when I was interfered with. 358. SUPPRESSION OF LETTERS.—Letters of mine have been suppressed. They contained allusions to prison matters. I did not know that such allusion were not permitted. 359. VISITING JUSTICES.—I think the visiting Justices should pay surprise visits to prisoners, and see into things for themselves, instead of being perpetually shepherded by the warders. 360. DIET.—I think the diet all round is a great deal too good. There is nothing to grumble at. 361. SANITATION.—Confirms the previous evidence. 362. MEDICAL OFFICER.—Dr. Hope has always been very kind to me, and I find that he is generally respected by prisoners. 363. THE SUPERINTENDENT.—I have been much irritated by the Superintendent, who, on one occasion, threatened to have me conveyed to the lunatic asylum. I suffered once from an injury to the head, which has increased a naturally excitable temperament, and the remark of the Superintendent was enough. I think, to upset anyone. I found it very trying. (The Commission adjourned.)
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