sign-in
Home
/
Convict Conditions
/
Image 64
Convict Conditions
Image 64
image 64 of 78
If you need a symbol, fraction or a wider dash please highlight, copy (Ctrl C) and paste (Ctrl V): £ — ¼ ½ ¾ ⅓ ⅔ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⊚ 🡹 /|\
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 1899. [AT FREMANTLE GAOL.] Present: Dr. ADAM JAMESON, Chairman. Mr. F. Craig, Mr. H. Stirling, and the Secretary. James Lilly, J.P., a Visiting Justice, examined. 857. VISITS TO THE GAOL.—Wednesday is my regular day for visiting the gaol, but I come here whenever I am required. 858. REMISSIONS.—I consider that if a man is brought up and only cautioned by the visiting Justice, it should not count against him in the matter of remissions, but that is a matter which, I understand, rests with the Superintendent. I think it would be desirable that the Magistrate should, when cautioning a prisoner, record that the caution shall not affect his remission. I propose to adopt that practice. No doubt it would be the right thing that anything operating prejudicially to the prisoner in the way of punishment should be recorded in writing. I often find that prisoners are very anxious to find out how they stand in the matter of remissions, but the Superintendent does not appear to be disposed to give the information, and this causes dissatisfaction among the men. The clerk keeps a sort of debtor and creditor account of the remissions. I think, in the case of every complaint against a prisoner, a copy of that account should be handed in to the Justice, who would then tell the man how he stood affected on giving his decision. 859. SENTENCES.—To prevent a man being kept in the dark cells longer than is intended (Question 190) it would be desirable that the visiting Justice should set down, in writing, the exact time for which he is to be locked up, and the hour when the locking up is to begin and end respectively. 860. DARK CELLS.—I understand that by regulation or practice, three days bread and water carries with it dark cells. I am not all in favour of that. Three days bread and water should involve separate treatment, but in light cells only. I was not aware that in the case of the number of men recently ordered to receive 14 days close confinement, they also got three days in the dark cells as part of the term. I am not in favour of the dark cell treatment at all, except in aggravated cases. 861. CUMULATIVE SENTENCES.—In my opinion no sentence inflicted inside the walls of the gaol should be cumulative in its operation. It should always be concurrent. I am not indeed aware whether it is legal to inflict a cumulative sentence inside the gaol. 862. FLOGGING.—Under Section 2 of 16 Victoria, Cap. 18, one Justice has the power to inflict flogging with the approval of the Governor, or two Justices, or a Resident Magistrate without the approval of the Governor. During my three or four years of office as a visiting Justice no flogging has been ordered by me, either alone or in conjunction with the Resident Magistrate. I do not approve of flogging at all in any case. I consider it has a degrading effect. 863. ABSCONDERS.—I consider that irons may be used with advantage on captured absconders. As to shooting at an escape, I am not prepared to say that I approve of that. 864. CLOTHING.—I do not think that the clothing of any prisoner should be condemned or confiscated. It should be properly taken care of if the prisoner wishes to keep it. 865. REMUNERATIVE EMPLOYMENT OF PRISONERS.—At first sight this seems to me to be open to the objection that it might come into competition with free labour, but I would certainly like to see any articles which are now imported, and are the product of foreign prison labour, made in our own prisons. 866. PRISONERS' COMPLAINTS.—If a prisoner wants to see a Justice he puts his name down for the purpose. I do not go around among the prisoners or hold conversations with them. I doubt, indeed, if it is within the scope of my duties. I think, however, it would be as well if a prisoner who had a grievance could see the Justices alone; that is, without the presence of any of the gaol officials. 867. TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT.—It strikes me that the terms of the sentences inflicted on the prisoners by the courts are much too long, especially having regard to the fact that there is practically nothing whatever for the men to do when they come into the prison. 868. WARDERS.—I have always found the warders to be an excellent body of men. 869. DIET.—I can give little information about this, but I think it would be better for the health of the prisoners to have green vegetables occasionally substituted for potatoes. 870. SUGGESTIONS.—I strongly advocate classification of the prisoners, but that must involve a complete change in the prison arrangements. I think Rottnest would make a good penal establishment. 871. TRIAL OF PRISON OFFENCES.—In all cases where the matter is of sufficient public interest to cause the reporters to be invited to attend, I think the investigation should be conducted in open court, and not in the gaol. [Books kept for the visiting Justices produced and examined.] (The Commission adjourned.) MONDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 1899. [AT PERTH.] Present: DR. ADAM JAMESON, Chairman. Mr. H. G. Stirling, Mr. F. Craig, and the Secretary. James B. Roe, Sheriff and Inspector of Prisons, examined. 872. PERSONAL.—As Sheriff, I received £550, and as Inspector of Prisons, £150. I have been in charge of the Fremantle Prison since 1886. 873. SUGGESTIONS.—Although I have not formulated any scheme for the classification of prisoners, I have reported in favour of classification as far back as 1893, and before that year. I have also suggested the establishment of a gaol at Greenmount for good conduct penal servitude men. In my report for 1897 I reiterated my suggestions for classification. 874. PUNISHMENTS.—I think the present mode of treatment of refractory prisoners is good. I do not approve of flogging as a punishment, and would like to see it done away with, but I would retain the use of irons and the dark cells. I do not see the necessity of putting condemned prisoners in irons. I should think guarding them should be sufficient. 875. OFFENCES INSIDE THE GAOL.—I cannot at the moment call to mind any case where a term of imprisonment has been increased by a cumulative sentence given inside the gaol, nor can I say whether there is any authority for giving such a cumulative sentence. 876. DUTIES.—I visit the Fremantle Gaol, on an average, once a week. I have to do with all the various prison accounts and the transport of prisoners. 877. COST OF PRISONERS.—The annual cost per head is between £30 and £40. 878. INTERVIEW WITH PRISONERS.—Any prisoner who wishes to do so can see me. The interview in such cases is in the presence of a warder. 879. REMISSIONS.—I approve of the scale of remissions as recently amended at the suggestion of the Commission. 880. HANDCUFFING OF TRIAL PRISONERS.—This is a matter within the discretion of the police, who are responsible for the safe conveyance of prisoners. I believe it is only done in the case of men believed to be dangerous, or likely to attempt to escape. I have recommended that a trap should be furnished for the conveyance of prisoners between East Fremantle and the gaol, and the matter is under consideration. I have never heard of women being handcuffed. 881. DIET.—I think the diet is sufficient, and the men usually look in good health on leaving the prison. 882. INDUSTRIES IN THE GAOL.—The labour of the prisoners is to some extent already utilised, but I favour an extension of the principle, and the remuneration of the prisoners to some extent, after the Government has been recouped for the expense to which it is put in maintaining them. 883. WARDERS.—As a rule they are a good class of men, but their pay is very low. 884. PRISON ACCOUNTS.—I am satisfied with the way in which the accounts are kept. They are checked periodically by the audit office. I have had no occasion to find fault with the way in which the accounts with the contractors for supplies are kept. 885. CELLS.—Prisoners have never complained to me that the cubic space of the cells is insufficient. 886. PROPOSAL FOR A GAOL AT COOLGARDIE.—There has been a good deal of official correspondence on this subject, but the outcome of it all is that there is no money available. I do not know what is the annual cost of transporting prisoners between Coolgardie and Fremantle, but it must be very considerable. Short sentence men, at any rate up to a month, should be kept up there (Coolgardie), and not sent down to Fremantle. 887. LIBRARY.—New books are from time to time supplied. We spend about £10 a year for that purpose. 888. DAILY DIVINE SERVICE.—On the whole, I think that the Protestant daily service should be abolished, unless the Roman Catholics are put on the same footing. Probably a little more schooling would be preferable to the daily service. 889. PETITIONS.—The practice in regard to petitions might be amended with advantage. Penal servitude men must now serve one-fourth of their sentence before petitioning. I think they should be permitted to petition at the commencement of their terms, but not subsequently, unless fresh matter arises for consideration. 890. PENAL LEGISLATION.—All the penal legislation of the colony should be consolidated, and a new set of gaol regulations should be drawn up. 891. ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE PRISON.—I strongly favour the appointment of a sort of Board of Advice for the inspection of the prisoners. Some time ago when visiting some of the English penal establishments, I found the system worked admirably.
Save edits
prev
|
next
|
all images
|
history