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Convict Conditions
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convicts. My status is that of Superintendent of the prison, but that prison is now made a goal. There are really no proper rules at all in either capacity. I have to made the regulations fit the circumstances of the place. 662. WARDERS.—What regulations apply to the warders?—They are the regulations of the Imperial times, but they do not apply to the temporary warders. 663. What suggestions have you made in regard to the regulations?—In my report dated May 29th, 1898, I said :—" The Goal regulations at present in force, having been framed many years ago upon statutes that were designed to provide principally for the control of convicts sent from England and undergoing penal servitude, are not now quite suitable or sufficiently comprehensive for the requirements of this prison. In particular, full and complete rules as to punishments, diet, and separate treatment require to be made. The disciplinary rules regarding officers also require amendment." 664. PETITIONS.—What is the practice in regard to petitions?—It has been held by the Government that one-fourth of the prison's time should be served before he is allowed to petition, but it has always seemed to me that if a man is really innocent it is hard that he should be compelled to serve any time before he petitions. In fact, if there is any ground for a petition at all, the sooner the matter is thrashed out the better. 665. You remember the case of McAuliffe, which came before us, where the prisoner was released, and turned out not to be McAuliffe at all, but another man who had been mistaken for him?—Yes. 666. Do you think there is other innocent men now in the prison?—Well, of course, I can only go by the warrant; but still there are a number of men who say that they are innocent, and in some cases they seem to have been told by the police that they know that they are innocent. 667. CONDUCT OF POLICE IN RELATION TO PRISONERS.—Do you think it is right that the detectives or police should interview prisoners or send messages to them, to the effect the they are innocent?—No; I think it is most improper. Any such information should be by way of report to the head of police, who should communicate facts for the benefit of supposed innocent prisoners to the proper authorities. 668. Such conversations as we have heard of between police and convicted prisoners are undesirable?—Undoubtedly. 669. CLOSET ACCOMMODATIONS.—Is the closet accommodation in the yard sufficient?—I think it is, under the circumstances. There are nine closets in the two yards, but as a fact the most use is made of the closets during the time when the men are out working. 670. ALLEGED UNNATURAL OFFENCES AMONG THE PRISONERS.—The evidence points to the commission of unnatural offences among the prisoners (reading the evidence)?—I have never heard of anything of that kind. It has never been reported to me. 671. DRINKING VESSELS AT THE QUARRY.—Prisoners complain that these are very dirty?—The condition of things is pretty much the same as it would be if a number of ordinary navvies were working together. They can always rinse the pannikin out if they choose. 672. BEDDING.—Do incoming prisoners always get fresh bedding?—You cannot give fresh blankets to every prisoner who come in, but if the previous occupant of the cell has been diseased, the bedding would be changed. The sheets are washed about every six weeks. As to the blankets, I may say that whereas other prisons used coloured blankets and no sheets, our blankets are white. 673. FORKS.—Why are not forks supplied to prisoners?—It is not customary, I think, to supply prisoners with forks. Every man gets a spoon and a knife. 674. DISCHARGE OF PRISONERS,—What is your view?—I think every destitute prisoner on discharge should be provided with sufficient funds to keep him in food for a few days. As to the time of discharge that would probably have to be altered by legislation. It is certainly hard for a destitute prisoner to be discharged at midday on Saturday, for instance, when he has little chance of obtaining work. 675. By Mr. Stirling.—Is it not hard also that a man doing seven days, who comes in on a Monday, should go out on the following Monday, because that give him two Mondays in the seven days?—I think such a man coming in on a Monday at 12 o'clock should go out the following Monday at 12. That only makes the seven days. 676. RAILWAY PASSES FOR DISCHARGED MEN.—Do you agree that men returning to country districts should get passes or railway tickets?—Yes; but I do not consider it desirable that men under short sentences should be sent down here from the country at all. 677. TICKET-OF-LEAVE.—By Mr. Mayhew.—Have you any suggestion to make?—I do not believe in the ticket-of-leave system at all. Every prisoner, on discharged, should go out a free man. 678. ASIATICS.—What about the treatment of Asiatics?—They should be kept in a class by themselves, and diet might be given them more suited to their habits and religion without any extra expense. 679. PRISONERS NOT SENTENCED TO HARD LABOUR.—Are not men put on to hard labour who are not sentenced to it?—No. Of course we have to put them to some kind of work. The hardest would be sawing timber for that class of men, but they take their own time over it, and are not required to work hard at it. 680. CUBIC SPACE OF THE CELLS.—By the Chairman.—What is the air space in your cells? About 242 feet. 681. Would the space be sufficient for separate confinement prisoners if two cells were knocked into one?—Yes; if the structural arrangements of the building will permit of it. I should think it would. 682. DIVINE SERVICE.—By Mr. Mayhew.—Would not it be an improvement to have church service for both the Catholic and the Protestant prisoners on Sunday only?—I think so, or else put both denominations on the same footing. 683. CONCEALMENT OF IMPLEMENTS.—We have been told that prisoners often convey implements into the prison, having concealed them about their clothes?—That is always possible when men work outside. The implements can be brought in in a variety of ways. 684. WARDRES.—By the Chairman.—How many warders are there?—About 40. 685. Are they a good class of men?—As a rule, yes. Of course it takes some time to get a new man into the routine. Among our warders are men who have had a long experience of the work in other prisons. 686. Do you think it desirable that warders should place themselves on terms of familiarity with prisoners or converse at all freely with them?—Certainly not. 687. I will read you the evidence at question 131 (reading the same)?—If I knew of anything of the kind happening the warder would be severely punished. 688. CORRESPONDENCE.—What is the practice? —I open the letters, read them through, and put my stamp upon them. 689. By Mr. Stirling.—Some of the prisoners appear to think that their letters are not sent away to the post. Would it be practicable to have a box in the prison into which prisoners could place their own letters after you have passed them?—I do not think it would do any good. Some prisoners are very suspicious, and they would then say, if they did not get a reply, that the post office people had intercepted them. 690. CLASSIFICATION.—By the Chairman.—Do you believe in the separate treatment of all prisoners for the first part of their sentence?—Yes; for the first six months. Of course, the whole system would have to be carefully thought out, and after the six months of separate treatment prisoners could work in associated group at their trades. 691. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE POLICE TO PRISONERS.—By Mr. Mayhew.—It appears that the police (see question 279) sometimes come to see prisoners here, and tell them that they are innocent. Do you consider that that is either regular or desirable?—Certainly not. If the police believe a man to be innocent they should communicate through their superior officers with the proper authorities. It seems to me to be a cowardly thing to come and worry a man whom they believe to be innocent, when they have it in their power to put matters right in the proper way. 692. OCCUPATION OF PRISONERS.—You do not see any practicable difficulty in the way of the profitable employment of prisoners?—None at all, if the Government will provide the plant and materials necessary. 693. PUMP YARD WORK.—This appears to be very unprofitable labour?—It is. Sixty or seventy prisoners are engaged on pumping which could be done by a dozen men; but there is no other work available within the walls. They are either long sentence men or men likely to try to escape if put at work outside. If other forms of labour were employed the engine could do all the pumping work. Safe custody, however, must be the first consideration, and the character of the work of the prisoners the next. 694-5. MATERIALS AND STORES.—I will read you the evidence at question 390 and 391 (reading the same)?—I am sure the official referred to would not connive at any irregularity, but it is no part of the duty of the goal officials to check the supplies received for the Water Department, although in practice it has been done. 696-7. INQUESTS ON DECEASED PRISONERS.—Should not an inquest be held in the case of every prisoner dying in the goal?—I think it would be desirable, if only for the sake of preventing the possibility of any suspicion. 698. ABSCONDERS.—Should absconders be flogged?—I am not in favour of flogging for simple absconding, where the runaway is not guilty any act of violence. 699. PRECINCTS OF THE GAOL.—What are the precincts of the gaol, as you understand them?—They are defined by the boundaries of the old goal property, and extend considerably beyond the walls of the gaol. 700. Could an escapee be fired at beyond the precincts of the goal?—I think so, under the regulations. 701. COST OF KEEPING PRISONERS.—Has this decreased or increased during the last few years?—The cost per head has decreased during the last few years, owing to its being cheaper, of course, per head to keep a large number of prisoners; but just in the last year or two there has been a slight rise, because provisions have been dearer. No. 10454, examined. 702. PETITION: ALLEGED INNOCENCE.—I understand that as the result of a recommendation of the Commission, my sentence has been reduced by five years, but I wish to point out that I am an innocent man, and that four or five detectives can prove it. Eggleston knows it. He apprehended me. So do Condon and Connell. So does Walters the policeman at Waterside. I only got into this trouble because I had been previously convicted. Cox (No. 2840), who is a prisoner in the cook-house now,
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