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Convict Conditions
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It was my bad record that got me in this time, and not the evidence against me, which you will see by the documents never proved the sale of the liquor with which I was charged. I would like the Commission to read the depositions. I have no complaints to make. No. 1204, examined. 584. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Assault; six months. 585. AGE.—20. 586. PERSONAL.—I was charged with assaulting a policeman. I never assaulted him at all. I never made a mark on him. I am doing a month in the cells for attempting to escape. I ran away recently, and was fired at and retaken. I am a sailor. I came from Cardiff to Wallaroo, and from Adelaide to Fremantle. I am given to drink when I am not working, and have been here before in consequence. No doubt the previous conviction got me in now, because another man, arrested when I was, pleaded guilty and was discharged, whilst I got six months, and pleaded not guilty. (The Commission adjourned.) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1ST, 1898. [AT FREMANTLE GAOL.] Present: DR. ADAM JAMESON, Chairman. Mr. E. W. Mayhew. Mr. J. Gallop, Mr. H. Stirling, and the secretary. No. 10408, examined. 587. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Burglary; three years. 587A. TICKET-OF-LEAVE.—I went out on ticket-of-leave under a previous sentence, was convicted of burglary, and sent back here. I understand I shall receive conditional release on October 9th next, have no evidence to give the Commission. No. 10503, examined. 588. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Burglary; five years. 588A. PROBATIONARY PERIOD.—I came out here in the "Racehorse," in 1865. I cannot understand why prisoners who received their first sentence in the old country should, on re-conviction, get nine months longer probation than local prisoners, who may have had several convictions, and possibly for more serious offences. I hope this extra nine months will be knocked off. No. 10554, examined. 589. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Larceny; three years. 589A. AGE.—28. 590. PETITION.—I want to petition. I have fresh evidence of a very material nature, which would conclusively prove an alibi in my case. [Witness advised to apply to Sheriff for leave to petition.] No. 3008, examined. 590A. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Indecent assault; two years. 591. PERSONAL.—I am a medical practitioner. [Witness gave his qualifications.] 591A. MEDICAL.—All prisoners should be carefully examined on arrival at the gaol. It should be no longer left to individual prisoners themselves to report the existence of ailments from which they may be suffering. At present prisoners are liable to punishment if they do not report the existence of disease which they may have; but in some cases they may not be aware of its existence, although a medical man would detect it. 592. SANITARY.—All the bed-linen and clothing should be boiled. That would minimise the risk of contagion. I know one case where a man has a running discharge from the ear. He uses a handkerchief constantly to wipe it. I do not know whether the discharge is of tubercular or syphilitic origin, but in any case the boiling of the linen would be a wise precaution. 592A. HOSPITAL.—From what I saw, when a patient in the hospital, it would give the typhoid patients a better chance if trained nurses were engaged in severe cases. Even criminals, if they are ill, should have the advantage of careful and skilled nursing. Such articles as invalid nightshirts, waterproof sheeting, and the usual adjuncts of a hospital ward would much conduce to cleanliness as well as to the comfort of the patient. Little points like this are at present overlooked. 593. LUNATICS AND IMBECILES.—For violent prisoners, who are liable to do themselves an injury, padded cells ought to be available. In some cases it is difficult to say, without prolonged observation, whether a man is really insane or not. I have known a case where a man knocked his head so violently against a wall as to leave hair and blood in the dent. It would be an easy matter, with all the labour available, to fix up a few padded cells; and I would suggest that if the hospital is to be retained at its present site, the adjoining garden might be utilised for the purpose. 593A. HOSPITAL VENTILATION.—There is plenty of ventilation in the hospital, but it is ill-regulated. I think, however, the hospital is in the wrong place altogether, and ought to be detached. I have no sense of smell at all, and therefore cannot say whether there is anything wrong in that respect in or about the hospital. 594. BOY PRISONERS.—There is a school for the boys. It is held one hour only in each week. I assist in the school. One of the boys, aged 17, is in for life. He is a remarkably obedient and docile lad and willing to learn. He could not read or write when he came here. The boys are sometimes in their cells for 21 hours out of 24. With the exception of the one hour a week, they learn nothing, and are taught nothing of any use to them. They are, for the most part, very willing to learn handicrafts if they could be taught. 594A. DIET.—Sometimes the meat is bad; mostly, I think, as the result of bad cooking. The porridge should not be served out at mid-day, but at breakfast time, and it might be a little more concentrated with advantage. No. 2250, examined. 595. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Larceny; two years. 595A. PERSONAL.—Certain money was found on me when I was arrested, and the judge made no order for its disposal. I am just about due for discharge, and I would like to know if I am entitled to the money. [Witness informed that he should inquire of the Sheriff.] 596. DISCHARGED PRISONERS.—Confirms previous evidence. No. 3395, examined. 596A. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Unlawful possession; nine months. 597. CLOTHING.—I complain that prisoners' clothes are rolled up tight into bundles, which is damaging to good clothes such as mine were. 597A. DISCHARGED PRISONERS.—Confirms previous evidence. No. 3568, examined. 598. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—Assaulting police; six months. 598. PERSONAL.—I, and another prisoner named Fox, got into trouble for assaulting the police. A third man pleaded guilty, but got off because he was drunk. We were both sober. There was really no assault at all. I want to petition. [Prisoner advised that he can petition if he cares to do so.] No. 3332, examined. 599. OFFENCE AND SENTENCE.—False pretences; 12 months. 599A. GERALDTON GAOL.—I was put into a separate gaol at Geraldton for eight days, with only three-quarters of an hour allowed for exercise each day. That was done without any magistrate's order. Then I was sent down here. 600. CONFISCATION OF CLOTHES.—A suit of the value of five guineas was confiscated when I came here. I wanted to hand them over to a destitute prisoner who was going out, but I was not allowed to do so. 600A. PUNISHMENT IN GAOL.—For misconduct (insubordination) I was put four days in the refractory cells before I was tried by the magistrate. Then I got four days in the dark cells, and lost eight days' remission.
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