PRISONERS IN REVOLT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1921, Page 5

PRISONERS IN REVOLT.

REFUSAL TO DO WORK. GAOL WORKSHOPS BURNED. A remarkable condition of affairs has arisen at P6ntridge Gaol, in V ictoria. where the prisoners, because of the alleged failure of the officials to remefly their grievances, broke into open revolt, and finally burned down one of theprison workshops. A departmental inquiry is being held concerning the matter, but a move is being made in the State Parliament for a Royal Comihission of investigation. The spirit of rebellion first flamed several weeks ago, when a special search of prisoners in the brushware shoj) for forbidden articles was ordered. The \vork was so thoroughly done that the place was left in disorder. This did not meet with the approval of the prisoners when they came to the shop on the following morning, and they refused to work. On the following morning the strike infection spread to a further 150 men belonging to various occupational gangs. The strikers were locked ftp for three days, and when the visiting magistrate came he sentenced the ringleaders to seven days’ imprisonment, cumulative upon their sentences. The others were given a month's “probation” —that is, the threat o-f punishment was held over to ensure their good behaviour. For some weeks the rebellion smouldered, then later it broke out >afresh. The overseer of the wire-net-ting factory had occasion to reprimand a prisoner for not doing his work properly. The man refused to work a(. all, and was locked up. The next day I'the whole of the prisoners in the facI <- or y— a ]] indeterminate-sentence men — 1 refused to work. Other men in pie indeterminate division also revolted, a day or so later the visiting magistral! sentenced 25 men to 21 days’ solitary confinement. They retaliated by breaking all the furniture in their cells, and were as a punishment ordered to be put into straight-jackets. Two days latei the fire broke out in the wire-netting ’factory. Thtee men suspected of being responsible fbr the outbreak were punished, and since then life at Pentridgt has been comparatively uneventful.