LIFE IN PRISON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 464, 24 March 1909, Page 2

LIFE IN PRISON.

PUNISHMENTS AND PRIVILEGES. LECTURE BY HON. DR. FINDLAY. In his speech at Dunedin on Friday night tho Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Justice), by way of showing tho need for reform in our prison system, gavo a quantity of information which has not before been mado public. In doing so ho supplied the materials for an interesting picture of life in tiew Zealand prisons. At G. 45 a.m. tho "rising hell" rings, and bo prisoners rise, wash, dress, make v.[> hammocks, and tidy cells. Breakfast is served in the cells. At 7.55 a.m. there is a general parade. Prisoners absent from parade, are visited by a principal warder, and certilied correct. All prisoners aro then searched, and marched to labour. Those in the shops exercise half an hour. Dinners aro served in the cells at 12 noon; after which prisoners are unlocked, searched, and allowed to smoke. At 1.20 p.m. they are marched back to labour. Then at 4.30 p.m., prisoners in shops cease work, and exorcise half an hour. At 5 p.m. a hell rings to recall the prisoners from labour. They aro mustered and searched, and locked up again at 5.30 for the night, and teas are served in the cells. From April 1 to September 30, tho last lock-up is one hour earlier, labour ceasing at 4 p.m. On Saturday afternoons the prisoners have baths, and their hair and beards aro cut close. Tho cells aro cleaned, clean clothes aro issued, and blankets shaken in the open air. The prisoners are paraded. Smoking and Conversation. Prisoners are allowed loz. of tobacco a week. Tho timo allowed for smoking is from 1 to 1.15 p.m. on week days, and from 2 to 2.15 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Prisoners aro required to bathe on reception and once, a week thereafter (Saturday afternoons) and oftenor if tho gaol surgeon directs. On Saturday after-' noons prisoners aro in association from 2 p.m. to 3.45 p.m., during which time hair cutting and bathing are carried out. Conversation can bo carried on during this time. On Sundays, between 9 and 11.45, divine service is held, and between the services of the different denominations about one hour is obtained for conversation, and a similar timo in the afternoon. On week days, during tho time allowed for smoking (1 to 1.15 p.m.), the prisoners aro together and have opportunity for conversation. The number of visits and letters vary according to the class in which the prisoner is. Prisoners usually writo their letters on Saturday afternoons or Sundays, under supervision of tho oilicers. Earning Remissions. Tho official statement continues:—A prisoner has to serve a probation of three month b before he commences to earn any remission. For that three months ho is credited wit six marks per diem. At the expiration of the probation, he is credited with eight marks for a steady day's work and tho full performance- of the allotted task, seven marks for a lesser degree of industry, and only six if he has performed but a fair day's work. Should a prisoner only earn six marks per diem, he would have to servo the full term of his sentence; by earning eight marks per diem he will earn a remission of one quar-. ter of his sentence which remains after he has served the three mouths' probation. Thus, if a prisoner is sentenced to twelve mouths' hard labour, he earns no remission on the first threo months; by earning eight marks per diem on the remaining nine months he will be entitled to his release when lie has served three quarters of the nine months, approximately six months and twenty-three days, which, added to tho three months' probation makes his total imprisonment nino ■ months and .twenty-tjiree. .days. For c_xemp]ary."eonduct ,r aYid" industry'" during their- sentences," prisoners, sentenced to five'yearß'i'and; i up\vafds''miy, ,, 'be granted a special class'remission bf : one month in addition to tho ordinary remission: those sentenced to four years 'a s'pecial'class remission of fourteen days, and those sentenced to three years a special remission of seven days. (Prisoners sentenced to two or more cumulative sentences servo a threo months' probation on each.)

Cratuitles. Prisoners serving less than six months are granted on discharge a gratuity of 2s. 6d., which may bo increased to 4s. if discharged on 'a Saturday. For sentence? over six months, tho amount of gratuity that may be earned varies with the class in which tho prisoner is placed. Thiiß, in the third class, twenty marks earned by the prisoners means a' gratuity of Id., in second class twenty marks equals l{d., and in the first class twenty marks equals 2Jd. "Special class" gratuities varying from 2s. 6d. for a six months' sentence' to £5 15s. for a twenty years' sentence are also paid in addition to the gratuities earned under marks. Prison Holidays. Prisoners are not employed at hard labour on Sundays, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Labour i)ay, and King's Birthday. No provision is made- at the town prisons for warming tho cells in winter. The lighting of the cells seems to varv somewhat. At Wellington, for instance., it has been the practico to turn on the lights immediately after lock-up on return from labour; on Sundays and holidays at about 5.30, and a little earlier in winter. Lights are extinguished at 7.45 p.m. Regulation 105 says "tho prisoners' lights mil bo extinguished at 7.45 p.m." Solitary Confinement. For minor prison offences visiting Justices may order solitary confinement, not exceeding three days, on bread and water diet. For aggravated prison offences prisoners arc dealt with in tho Magistrate's Court, and may bo sentenced to fourteen days' bread and water diet in the solitary division, but on and after tho fourth day they aro allowed such exercise as tho gaol surgeon may direct. Tho only information given under tho heading "Classification of Prisoners" is a reference to a departmental circular dated November 8, 1905, and containing instructions for tho treatment of first offenders with sentences not exceeding six months. The instructions aro as follow:—

"It is presumed that such offenders have had the benefit of tho Probation Act, or that their characters are not good enough to permit of their having it, and therefore they are sent to prison. If work can be found for them m their cells, they aro to bo kept there for 20 hours out of the 24, and when at cxerciso they shall bo made to walk by themselves instead of two and two, at a distance far apart enough'to prevent their carrying on a regular conversation. When accommodation admits of it, they aro to be located in a part of the prison by themselves, with two empty cells between each prisoner, which should again prevent any regular conversation being carried on 'between them. Thcso arrangements must, of course, bo carried out by gaolers as far as tho accommodation* of their respective gaols permit, and they aro permitted to use their own discretion as far as possible. It is thought that if those offenders can bo kept away from tho hard labour' men and not permitted to talk to each other while at exercise or work, they may find the imprisonment so irksome that in many eases it may prevent their further return to prisons. "By order. "A. HUME, "Inspector of Prisons." The Prlsonors 1 Food. Breakfast, for tho ordinary hnrd-labour prisoner, consists of 12oz. of bread, and ono pint of tea, with sugar, but no milk. For dinner ho has IGoz. of potatoes, Boz. of meat (approximate weight after boiling), 4oz. of broad, and ono pint of soup, containing 207.. of vegetables. His evening meal is similar to his breakfast. "Fenialo rations" aro similar, but the quantities of meat, |>otatoes, and bread aro about a third less. Prisoners not nn hard labour have half the quantity of

potatoes ami meat, and one-third the quantity of broad. "Prisoners undergoing punishment in the solitary division" (m:\loniul female) have for their sole dietary lOoss. of bread per diem. What Prisoners Road. "At most of tho prisons," says another report, ."thero is a fair assortment of reading, with the exception of the tree-planting camps. Tho order of popularity with the. prisoners is:— "First—magazines. These are sought after very largely, and in most of the, prisons tho supply is fairly largo. "Second —fiction. Thero is. a cood demand for this, with a special leaning to anything of a racy and sporting nature. "Works by standard authors are also much appreciated by a large section of the prisoners. "Science and travel. Where- available, there is a fair demand for works of this nature. Historical and poetical works are seldom asked for, nor is thoro any demand for theological matter. "Convicted prisoners arc allowed to select from tho catalogue one book and a magazine once- a week. Trial and remand prisoners aro given frequent changes. Most of tho books and magazines are contributed by tho public, clubs, mid libraries, but requisitions from gaolers to spend, say, £5 on suitablo books aro granted when asked for." At tlio Troo-Plantlng Camps. Tho work at tho jrce-pltmting stations is frequently carried out some distanco away from tho prison. Gangs, under the supervision of an officer, are at work some distance from one another. Tho officers are not armed. Boundaries are fixed at the camps, and prisoners are allowed, on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, to roam about inside tho boundaries, and aro not allowed outside, except on tho special permission of an officer. As there aro no visiting Justices in the vicinity of tho camps, no punishments are awarded", but if a prisoner commits himself, ho is transferred bade to a town prison, and forfeits tho four extra marks per week granted for good conduct and industry at tho treeplanting prisons. At night the prisoners are locked in their hnts by padlocks on the outside, and tho night-watch officer on duty makes a round of the camp at irregular intervals.