Page:Report of the Commission Appointed to inquire into the Penal System of the Colony.pdf/23

 —To be issued to prisoners serving sentences of twelve months and upwards after a service of twelve months on No. 2, when not at hard labor, and for all prisoners at hard labor serving sentences under twelve months—

—To be issued to prisoners when employed at hard labor, serving sentences of twelve months and upwards—

—To be issued to prisoners undergoing solitary confinement—

—Low diet—to be issued to prisoners when reported sick—

—To be issued to prisoners when on the sick-list, and by order of the visiting surgeon—

—To be issued to children of female prisoners—

In all rations where meat is allowed, the quantity stated shall mean the weight of meat in an uncooked state, with bone.

We would further suggest that, with a view to checking the scorbutic tendency observed amongst many of the prisoners, an ounce of limejuice should be given to each prisoner twice a week from November to February, both months inclusive.

We cannot find that any valid ground of complaint exists as to the quality or the price of the various articles supplied under contract to Fremantle Gaol. It was represented to us by one of the contractors that the responsible gaol officials had occasionally been somewhat exacting in their demands, insisting upon the fulfilment of the very letter of the contracts; but it must be remembered that the officials in question have no option but to see, both in the interest of the prisoner and of the taxpayer, both of whom have certain rights in the matter, that every article supplied shall be of the quantity, quality, and value contracted to be paid for by the public.

We personally inspected the food and the stores at Rottnest, and repeatedly did so at Fremantle, and found the same to be of excellent quality.

The office of Inspector of Prisons is at present filled by the Sheriff, who, in his capacity of Inspector, receives £150 a year. We think that the time has arrived when the two offices of Sheriff and Inspector of Prisons should be separated. As suggested elsewhere, we recommend the appointment of an Inspector of Prisons, who should fill the office of Governor of Fremantle Gaol.

The position of Mr. W. A. George, the superintendent of the Fremantle Gaol, has been rendered an exceedingly difficult and onerous one by reason of the absence of all proper rules and regulations for his guidance, to which matter reference has previously been made by us. The difficulty thus created has been aggravated by the herding together, without any classification, of long sentence and short-sentence prisoners—in fact, prisoners of every description.