UNDER LOCK AND KEY.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1236, 20 February 1878, Page 3

UNDER LOCK AND KEY.

[By a Recent Visitor.]

[from the press.]

“ Why don’t you do the amateur casual, and fake forty-eight hours in the ordinary way?” Thus to mo the urbane magistrate whom I asked for the necessary order to view Addington Gaol. “ I shall be most happy to give it to you,” continued he, “ more especially as I see the Loafer in the Street is to accompany you.” Having declined the obliging oiler of the worthy magistrate, we proceeded unescorted by any of the A.C. to pay a visit of inspection to the Addington Gaol. My companion observed that our frequent visits to the various Government hostelries would lead ill-natured people to suppose that we were going the rounds to select our lodgings when the inevitable time arrived for taking up our abode for a somewhat more lengthened period than we now contemplated. This idea had not occurred to me ; as Mr Marshall ooserves sententiously to Private Pitou. When I become a Loafer such gleams of intelligence may be vouchsafed to me—occasionally. A short but pleasant drive brings us to Addington, and we interview Mr Reston, who, like Mr Philips at Lyttelton, declines to be satisfied that we are without lawful visible means of support, and thus entitled to claim his hospitality, though the appearance of my friend goes far to prove the fact. We produce the ticket of admission with which we have taken care to provide ourselves,and intimat e that we should like to inspect the premises. “ Certainly,” says Mr Reston, and he leads the way into his office, where we are presented to the matron, the effects of whose vigilant personal superintendence we see, as we go through the wards, evidenced in the neatness and cleanliness which is predominant. The number of returns and multifarious correspondence which Mr Reston has to attend to. single-handed, besides exercising supervision over all the prisoners, is very great. This is the more so here, as the sentences of the prisoners confined are but short; hence there is a continual passing through the books going on. “We will take the female sidefirst if you like” says Mr Reston, and we assent. The female side, I may say, is completely isolated from that of the males, which is at the farther end of tho grounds, enclosed by a high concrete wall, which forms the southern boundary of that part allotted to female offenders. Leaving the office, we enter a corridor running the length of the building, radiating from which are three divisions, each separated from the other and complete in itself, with yard, laundry, baths, &c., to each. The first division we go through is A, which is used as a reformatory, under the Contagious Diseases Act, when any cases are in the gaol, but when, as on the as occasion of our visit, there are none of this class of cases it is used for the general purposes of the gaol. Tho number of cells in this division is four, three being associated and one single. Passing along the corridor we come first to the clothing store. Here is kept the clothing of the female prisoners not in use, and also their own clothes made up into bundles and labelled. On entering the gaol each prisoner has to wash her own clothes, pack them into a bundle and place them in store, where they remain until tho expiration of the sentence. The associated cells contain four iron bedsteads, and tho bedding supplied consists of a mattrass, three blankets, one pair sheets, and a quilt. In the associated cells are alarm bells communicating with Mr Reston’s quarters, which can be used in case of sickness, these being also used when needed for sick wards. The cells are particularly clean and airy, but we notice that tho gas has not yet reached this far. The day room is at the end of the passage, and is used as a mess and work room. Opening out from it is the bath room and washhouse, fitted with copper, &c., and water laid on. From the latter access is gained to a spacious yard. This division, when not used for the object it was originally intended, is appropriated to first offenders. Mr Reston is thus enabled to classify them, and prevent the evil effects of mixing with the more hardened prisoners.

We pass on to the central division, which is need for old offenders—constant and regular visitors of Mr Heston, a very numerous class, as the statistics I quote below will show. The first part of this visited is the cook’s quarters. This is a good sized apartment with range, &c., everything looking bright and clean. My companion, perhaps with ulterior views as to his own diet when his turn comes under the Vagrant Act, asks what is the dietary scale. Mr Heston tells us that it is as follows :—Breakfast, lOozs. bread and a pint of tea ; dinner, Bozs. meat, 12ozs. potatoes; tea simi'ar to breakfast. The number of cells in this division is nine, viz., four associated, two single, and three solitary. The cells are furnished similarly to the ones in the A division. The mess and work room is at the end, where there are a number of prisoners busily engaged in needlework. From this we pass to the laundry. Here all the washing of the establishment is done, besides some for the immigration department occasionally, and that of the officers of the Lyttelton gaol. Next (he laundry is the ironing room, having a drying room attached, which however, has not been much used owing to its drying capabilities being somewhat limited. Crossing the yard wo come to a concrete building, which comprises five cells, two separate and three solitary. In the former are placed prisoners awaiting trial. The solitary cells have each attached a small yard with an outer door as well as the inner cell door. By this means a prisoner who has been sentenced to solitary confine,merit can take exercise without it being necessary to detail an officer to look after her, an arrangement which, with the limited staff at Mr Heston’s disposal, would be practically impossible. At the far end of this yard are the quarters of the female warder, comprising a bed and sitting room.

Owing to the crowded state of tlie male side of the gaol, in which the accommodation is wretchedly and totally insufficient, the next division has been for the past throe or four weeks used exclusively for men. This part is entirely cut oif from the two I have been describing, but still there appears to bo great laxity on the part of the Q-ovcrnment in providing the necessary accommodation for the male prisoners in Addington gaol. At the present time these number some 51. Another point we notice about tho arrangements is that there is no night watchman, as is the case in Lyttelton and elsewhere, tho paucity of the staff at Mr Heston's disposal preventing him arranging for so necessary an officer. This is brought more especially under our notice in this ward because t here is no communication whatever after the premises are locked up, so that in case of illness, &c., it would be very difficult to obtain assistance. There are other obvious reasons why a night warder is indispensable. This finishes our survey of the female side of the gaol, and we return to the office where Mr Heston calls our attention to the library, which is but small, and much in want of donations. Any one having old books —and there are numbers of such—would be doing a kind action, and at the same time relieving themselves of useless lumber, by forwarding them to the gaoler at Addington. Crossing a large yard plentifully bestrewn with boulders which on a hot summer’s day, such as the one when we paid our visit, makes locomotion anything but pleasant, we reach tho male division. This is cut off, ns I have before observed, by concrete walls on the north and west, and by a galvanised iron fence on the south and east. In the centre of a large yard stands an imposing looking concrete building intended when completed to form the permanent north wing. For months, however, despite the urgent necessity for more accommodation, this building has been allowed to remain in its present unfinished state. My readers will recollect that it was only after strenuous exertions on the part of Mr Rolleston some twelve or eighteen months ago that the Government allowed a temporary roof to he placed on it to prevent it being damaged by the weather. Since that time, though the hard labor gang have been employed at all sorts of pretexts for work in order to keep them employed whilst they could have done good service in finishing this building, tho Government have persistently refused to allow of anything being done to complete it or to push it forward in any degree. And this, too, when the money for tho purpose has long since been voted. Not only is this so, but the accommodation for the male prisoners is a disgrace to us, they being herded together in a little galvanisediron building, and as I have stated, for some time past Air Heston has been obliged to put a number of the male prisoners in the wards appropriated to females. Why this should bo so is inexplicable, but tho fact remains. The new building lias a corridor running right through the centre, the cells being in two tiers, thirteen being on the upper and seventeen on the lower fioor. When completed, a gallery with an iron railing will run all round, having a bridge in the centre, by which to cross from one side to the other. At the southern end is an archway, through which access is gained by a flight of stone stairs to the upper tier. On either side of the landing is the infirmary and nurses’ rooms, and below is a bathroom. The other portions comprise day and messrooms, storerooms, &c. At the present time the building is used as a mess-room for the male prisoners, there being no other accommodation. Previously to the building being so far completed, the male prisoners had to take their meals in the little bit of a cabin dignified by the name of the cook-house. Leaving the building, we cross the yard to the unsightly galvanised iion structure which does duty for the male gaol. The number of cells available are six, three on each side, opening on to a window running down the centre. Five prisoners are placed in each of these, and should it happen that one was to get solitary connfiement, Air Heston has no place but one of the cells, which means of course that four men have to be drafted off into the already overcrowded cells, besides which, if the secluded one be of a cheerful disposition, he can make it lively for tho whole of the inmates by keeping them awake all night. Here, again my companion, ever alive to his interests, makes anxious enquiries of Mr Heston as to the regulation under which the soothing weed is supplied to the gentlemen who arc the guests of Her Majesty. He is horrified to learn that tobacco is only supplied after fourteen days’ probation, and that a very slight infraction of rules entails its stoppage even after that. He sighs deeply, and expresses his conviction that life in Addington Gaol is ,not all beer and skittles. Near hero is the cook’s quarters before referred to, and in rear of it a little cupboard place, compared with which the stoke-hole of a steamer is almost refrigerating. Hero we are told, owing to want of accommodation, the warder has had to sleep for some time. Badly off as the prisoners are, this must have been a great deal worse. A very short stay in this part suffices us, and wo come out hotter if not wiser men.

Back once more to the office, and I say to Mr Heston, “ Have you any objection to give me a few statistics?” “Certainly not,” replies that gentleman. '“Here are a few returns I made up to the end of last year, which are at your service.” True to his loafing instincts my friend has taken possession of Mr Heston’s arm chair, and is indulging in a meditative pipe, the while soliloquising aloud on the tyranny of making a man do fourteen days before getting a smoke. “Here,” said Mr Heston, “is a very interesting table, showing the numbers in the Q-aol at the end of the year, the number received during the year, the daily average in confinement, and the numbers of prisoners convicted once, twice, three times, and more. Up to the 31st December, 1877, the highest number in the Q-aol was 37 males and 23 females, the figures for the corresponding period of the previous year being 44 males and 30 females. The numbers at the commencement of the year were : 1877 —21 males, 11 females ; 1876 —23 males, 18 females. The total number received during the year 1877 was 604 males and 152 females, and during 1876, 488 males and 152 females. The daily average number in confinement during 1877 was 28 males and 14 females, omitting the decimals, and for 1876 it came to 23 males and 15 females. “ Now I come,” said Mr Heston, “ to the worst part of the return, viz., the numbers convicted once, twice, and three or more times. You will see by this that the greater percentage are old offenders, and, indeed, 1 may call them regular boarders, as distinguished from the casual callers. The number of those convicted once is 82 males and 6 females ; twice, 52 moles and 6 females ; three times or more, 148 males and 112 females.” The loafer wakes up dreamily as Mr Heston concludes his statistical information, and says, vide Major Jorum, “ Such is life, sweet child,” Finding no response from us, as we are deep in abstruse calculations, he once more relapses into coma, and we hear no more of him. “ Here,” observes Mr Heston, “is a very good return, showing the value of the work done by the prisoners in Lyttelton and Addington gaols, the former for the quarters ending 30th June and 30bh September of last year and the latter for the September quarter. You will see that in the June quarter the earnings in Lyttelton were £llO2 17s 6d, and for the September one £1448 10s. Our earnings for the September quarter amounted to £371 4s Bd, taking the remuneration, as you will see, at very low rates. For instance, I calculate the labor of the men at 6s per diem for skilled and 4s per diem for unskilled. Those employed inside, such as cooks, cleaners, Ac., I put at 3s. This, you will allow, is not an extravagant estimate. The labor of the women prisoners I estimate at Is 6d per diem, and I have also pub down the washing and making at the lowest cost.” At this juncture the loafer arose and declared Iris intention of immediately returning to his, happy hunting grounds. “ I’ve had enough,” said he, sarcastically, “ of statistics of Addington Qaol. No forty-eight hours for me, and I’ll keep a pretty smart look out that they don’t run me in under the Tag. Act. The quarters arn’t at all to my taste.” So bidding farewell to Mr Heston, with many thanks toy his courtesy, we retired, glad, for the second time, to conclude our short experience of being “ Under Lock and Key.”