H.—2o

18

PAPARUA PRISON. With the exception of the sickness caused by the prevailing influenza epidemic the health of the prisoners has been good. One prisoner died during the year of bronchial pneumonia, lie was removed to the Christchurch Hospital for treatment, and died three days later. There, was one escape in the year, during heavy fog. The escapee was recaptured a few days later, and sentenced at the Supreme Court to an additional term of hard labour. The conduct of the prisoners has been good, very few punishments being found necessary. I attribute this to their healthy surroundings, the open-air life on the Prison farm having a distinctly beneficial and reformative effect, which result cannot be looked for within the four walls of a city prison. Tho spiritual welfare of the prisoners has been well looked after by the Rev. P. Revel], Rev. Father Leon, tho members of the Brethren faith, and Staff Captain Barnes, of the Salvation Army; frequent services being held forenoon and afternoon on Sundays. The bootmakers' shop has been transferred here from the Lyttelton Prison, and a large number of boots and slippers manufactured and supplied to other prisons and mental hospitals. Work on the west cell-range of the permanent Prison building litis proceeded vigorously throughout the year, the actual building work being now practically completed. The pitched portion of the roof has been covered with concrete roofing-tiles, made at the Prison. The cells situated on the ground floor have been finished, and now all that remains to be done, to complete this wing of the building is the finishing of the cells on the first floor and the usual work on the exterior of the building. The concrete foundations of east cell-range have been laid down, and one course of blocks laid all round. The walls of the kitchen block have been built to the, required height, and the roof is ready for placing in position. This building contains, in addition to the basement, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, bakehouse, and two storerooms, in the basement are two compartments, one for coal and tho, other for cool storage. The iron grille doors for the kitchen block have been made in the Prison blacksmith's shop. Concrete foundations have been placed under the four wooden buildings of the original temporary-cell block, and the yard has been divided into two by means of a concrete-block wall. Lavatory basins and sanitary conveniences have been built. These will be drained to a septic tank, which is being built in the rear of tho buildings. A second temporary-cell block of buildings containing two cell-houses, with accommodation for fifty-eight prisoners, also kitchen with bathroom and officers' quarters attached, and the administrative block, containing offices, storeroom, visiting-rooms, and bootmaking-shop, has been completed. The yard has been divided into four by concrete-block walls. Lavatory basins and sanitary conveniences have been provided. The sewerage from the latter is disposed of by means of a septic tank, while the lavatory basins have been drained into soakage sumps. All the buildings in this block have been electrically lighted, the energy being obtained from the Lake Coleridge system. Three new officers' cottages have been completed, a fourth is built roof-high, and the foundations of a fifth have been laid. The Gaoler's residence has also been built to the height of window-sills. The old wooden cottage previously occupied by the farm-manager has been moved back 75 yards and placed on a concrete foundation ; a concrete-block washhouse and bathroom have been added to this cottage, a hot-water system has been installed, and the cottage completely renovated. All new cottages on the property are being built of concrete blocks, and the roofs are covered with concrete, tiles, the whole of the blocks and tiles being made in tho Prison workshops by our own labour. A septic tank has been built to dispose of the sewerage, from cottages. Nos. 1, 3, 4, and 5 cottages are now connected, and the tank is giving complete satisfaction. The five completed cottages now on the farm have been fitted throughout with electric light, the energy for which is carried across the farm on a line of reinforced-concrete poles, leading from the transformer station near tho temporary Prison. A concrete cylinder well has been sunk 52 ft., and will shortly be, finished. The shed used for making concrete blocks has been duplicated ;it now covers twice the area previously occupied, thus greatly increasing the output of blocks. In connection with building-work at the, Prison 20,000 concrete, blocks have been made, and 27,300 concrete roofing-tiles. Tho farm has been supplied with a large number of concrete fencing-posts of different patterns ; concrete droppers have also been made, and fences erected. The new road on the boundary of the, Prison property is being pushed on, and fenced in as the work proceeds. There are in all 400 acres of the, farm area under cultivation, 48 acres being lucerne, 15 acres barley, 24 acres potatoes, 23 acres mangolds, 33 acres silver-beet, 75 acres oats, 25 acres wheat : the remainder has been laid down in various grasses. 655 lambs and forty-three pigs were bred on the farm, their sale, adding considerably to the year's revenue. Cash credits amounting to £2,013 10s. 9d. were received and paid into the Public Account. Fire practice, has taken place, weekly with the manual engine. I regret having to record the 'death rinfluenza, epidemic of Motor-driver Warder C. G. Hall ; he was a bright, intelligent, and efficient officer, and his loss is much regretted. The conduct of the staff, which has been largely increased during the year, has been very satisfactory. Mr. Maopherson, Fields Supervisor, has visited frequently and. given advice on farming matters generally. ROTO-ATRA ROAD-MAXTNC PRISON CAMP, There were forty-five prisoners in custody at the beginning of the year, twenty-four prisoners have been received during the year, twelve hard-labour prisoners were discharged, and three reformative detention prisoners were released by the Prisons Board.