FROM THE JAIL CELLS.-No. 1.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 27, 8 September 1911, Page 6

FROM THE JAIL CELLS.-No. 1.

To Mr. Cooke

I am taking the opportunity that you have been good enough to place within my reach of giving the general public some idea of the rottenness of the present system under which New Zealand prisons are governed, and trust that you will do your uttermost to bring about a more human© and satisfactory state of affairs.

.First of all, according to prison niW and regulations, when a prisoner first enters the jail ho should be medically examined. Now I solemnly declare that these examinations are farces. Wheal a, prisoner enters this establishment he is taken before the doctor on the first available opportunity; the doctor invariably asks, "Are you all right," and if answered in the affirmative the main is_ reported fit for hard labor. The result is that we have men among us at times suffering from the most loathsome venereal diseases. These men batflie iiii the same baths; have their hair cut and beards trimmed with the same machine, which is not only dangerous, but abominable to a cleanly prisoner.

The doctor himself, one Newell by name, is the most callous creature that it has ever been my lot to encounter. He appears to mc to have a morbid hatred to all prisoners, and seems to derive great pleasure from insulting and causing them as much physical pain as is in his, power to inflict. I might tell j'ou that I suffer untold agonies from dyspepsia, and on one occasion suffering more acutely than usual, I went to the doctor and asked him to change my diet, thinking I might gain relief that way. The doctor asked mc how long I had been in jail. I told thim. He then asked what term I was serving, and when I informed him he said, "Well, do it." On another occasion I went to him and asked if he would allow mc an extra blanket (we are allowed five blankets), as I had contracted rheumatism through sleeping in cold, damp cells with insufficient clothing. This is the answer I received: "An extra blanket, indeed; why you had four blankets outside."

There is a- prison hospital, but no prisoner is sent there unless he is on the verge of the grave. Sir, you may find it hard to. give credit to such a statement as this, but I swear most solemnly that what I say is nothing but truth. When a prisoner is taken ill he is' confined to his cell, and, as I have just stated, unless he is on the brink of eternity he is never put ki the hospital. Six, it has come to my ears that In an article written by you and published in the daily Press of July 20th, you made a statement to this effect —that the prisoners in jail were afraid of the doctor. Now, I wish to

point out to you the manner in which this fear is created in the heart of myself and the large majority of my fellow prisoners. We steer clear of the doctor —in fact, never go near him unless it is absolutely unavoidable —for this reason, that his insulting remarks may incite us to commit ourselves. You also stated that the cold in the prison was intense, aaid that five blankets were insufficient for bed clothing; but you forgot to say that the majority of us slept in hammocks and not on straw mtattrasses, and that it was therefore necessary to use half the blankets underneath one. -

In. reference to the'cell in which the man •■with pleurisy was confined, I might tell you that it is the ■condemned cell, and I challenge, any statement that it is possible to read in that'particular cell at the present time without the aid of artificial light. I was confined in precisely the same cell for a short period during the summer months, and at that time I had to stand close to the door and hold my book in such a position that the sleaader ray of light (which comes through a-n 8 by 8 opening in the door) fell on the book. I might toll you that there are much darker cells than the cell in question —cells in which men. are confined from day to day. In them it is absolutely impossible for a. prisoner to read at any time of the day or at any time of the year without being aided by artificial light. These cells are situate on the gi'ound floor of what is known as the north wing of the ja.il, aaid when a, visitor is shown over the premises he is seldom, if ever, shown these cells, but is taken to see the cells on either side of the landing above. At the present time in the cells above those to which I have, just referred men, have to stand on their cell stools or upon the table to gain sufficient light to read by.

Sir, as you know, during your short term of incarceration _. a prisoner was sentenced by the visiting Justice to dry bread and,water, and another pffj» soner was sentenced to four days, and for any man to have to undergo such punishment —at the time of the year especially—docs not tend to reform, but make men desperate. In nine causes out of ten when a man is sentenced by the visiting Justice to bread and water, he is taken to the solitary confinement cells and there confined; at any time during the hours of 7 and 8 p.m. one of the night watchmen or the night orderly comes- and takes your clothes from you, leaving you with nothing but your flannel and shirt and three blankets, the- floor being utilised as a. bedstead. When a prisoner "is undergoing punishment or this description the only time-he is permitted to leave, his cell is to go and have a wash at the tap. This is the one and only time that a prisoner is allowed to leave his cell during his term of punishment, so that any statement made to the con-tra-ry is totally incorrect.

I have also heard that on Thursday, July 13, an article appeared in the columns of the "Lyttelton Times," headed "A Visitor's Impressions of Lyttelton Jail." Now, the said visitor was none other than a reporter of the "Lyttelton Times," and he was shown over the premises by the jailer and from what I could see- he appeared to be making notes according to the jailer's dictation. Anyway, -there are prisoners here who we.ro in the north wing at the time of his visit wlio ar.e prepared to swear that he> was not shown the inside of any of the cells on the ground floor to which" I have previously drawn your attention. This person also said that the chief warder made a remark to this effect, that he was sure that if all the prisoners in the jail at the present were, questioned that there would probably be no more- than half-a-dozen who would say a word against their treatment. Now, this is a deliberate lie, and well the warder knows it. Why, only about three months ago at the 'outside more; than half of the men working in the shops A demanded to see the jailer in a- body, as thej' wished to lodge a complaint as regards the bad quality of the food they were receiving and the- indifferent manner in which it was cooked. This sort of thing has happened more than once.

The reporter also stated that when he visited "the tailors 3 shop he saw' men making smart uniforms and such suits for those prisoners whose time for release was near and who required new clothes on leaving the jail. Sir, I caai swear that in five years there has not been one dozen suits given to the prisoners on their release. It was also stated that' any prisoner'was entitled on Saturdays t6 see the jailer to make | any complaint ho desired, and that tho visiting Justice ' determined the correctness of allegation made by a pri-

r Bohe-r, but apparently tihe jailer forgot to inform him that he (the Jailer) did everything In his power to suppress any complaint that reflected on his administration ; in. fact, if a prisoner makes a complaint that reflects on, tifte jailer or any of his. colleagues he., is persecuted until he commits some breach of the rules and leaves himself open to punishment by the .visiting Justice, and I can assure you that Mr W. W. Collins, J.P., is about the smartest at serving out bread and water that I know of. This gentleman, is known among prisoners as "Bread and Water Collins." If a prisoner complains to Collins in nine cases out of ten he is brutally suppressed.

The solitary confinement cells were also visited, and the visitor was" informed were seldom used. Now, this is an awfully incorrect statement to make, for these cells are almost continually in use, and they have been for the last six years to my knowledge.. There are several boys here sentenced to be kept separate, and they pick oakum in the solitary confinement cells by day —anyway, they did up to a few days ago, if not at the present time. They sleep in. the separate confinement cells. Also a very old man named Allen has been working in these cells day after day for.weeks past.

One boy her©, who was sentenced to three years' reformative treatment by the magistrate, is working in the printing shop, having for a fellow worker &, man. serving ten years for incest and a man serving seven years for abortion and one a term of 14 years for an unnatural offence. Rather a unique way of carrying out the orders of the magistrate, is it not ?

The reporter said he visited the kitchen and. saw the prisoners' dinner being prepared, and amongst other preparations some beautiful thick soup, roast beef, potatoes and boiled rice; therefore could see no ground s_ for complaint as regards food. Boiled rice is very seldom given to anyone unless he is very ill In five years, I have had. my diet changed for a very short period,- and as I was working in a gang that goes outside of the prison to work I could get roast on Saturdays amd Sundays, so that I received my change a few times.

Have you ever imagined what the feelings of a man must be that has to sit down to the same class of food and go through the same monotonous routine day after day for years. Just imagine yourself, for instance, having eggs and bacon for breakfast or stew for dinner without variation for years. I think you would very soon get tired of such treatment. Of course, one does not expect to be fed like a fighting cock when one enters a place like this, but I do think the authorities ■•■might try and do something for us in this respect. Repeatedly, I have gone out to work and worked for two days at a time without eating one morsel, of food, the reason being that my'"stomach revolted at the same- thing day after day.'

I might tell you that hot water was supplied here for bathing some time ago, but the supply is not sufficient. There are ten baths, and after the water has boon changed twice the. supply has run out. Considering that there are about 130 men in jail, it can easily be seen that this should be remedied at once. - Please use this'as you think beet.PRISONER.