Prison Regulations




DUTIES OF GUARDS.

Guards, except when acting as overseers, not to be allowed to hold any communication with prisoners except on matters of discipline.

Guards, when on duty, never to be allowed without arms—to consist of a musket, bayonet and pistols, with twelve rounds of ball-cartridge.

Guards, when on duty, not to allow any prisoner to approach any nearer to them than ten paces, nor to permit any prisoner to go beyond the prescribed limits without the order of the overseer or other officer in charge.

On any person passing, or attempting to pass the prescribed boundary, it is the duty of the guard to challenge him by calling out "stand prisoner," with the prisoner’s name or number. On this challenge being repeated twice, and the prisoner neglecting or refusing to stand, then it shall be lawful for the guard or other officer to use his weapons, and in case of inability to prevent escape by other means, to fire on the prisoner to prevent his escaping.

On the escape of any prisoner the guard shall give an alarm, but on no account shall he leave the gang without the orders of the keeper.

On an alarm being heard all overseers and guards are to turn out fully armed to await the orders of the officer in charge.

Guards are justified in using their arms to prevent prisoners from assaulting each other or any other person.

The guards of each gang are to receive from the overseer in charge the number of the gang. They are to count the same at least every quarter of an hour. They are to report to the overseer any irregularity in the conduct of the prisoners.

TRAFFIC.

No guard or any other officer is to be allowed to buy from, or to sell anything to any prisoner, or furnish any prisoner with any goods except by permission.

LABOR.

Hours of labor in summer from eight, a.m. to five, p.m., with one hour’s cessation for dinner. In winter from eight, a.m. to four, p.m., with one hour’s cessation for dinner.

Prisoners are invariably to be called and made to rise at day-light, and to be locked up before dark.

DIVINE SERVICE AND INSTRUCTION.

Before labour every day, and at least once on the Sabbath day, prayers will be read or divine service performed, at which every prisoner who attends must behave in a decent and orderly manner. Books approved of by the Visiting Justice will be permitted. Any prisoner damaging, or making any book dirty, to forfeit the privilege of using books in future.

LETTERS.

Prisoners are allowed to write letters once in two months only, more frequently if desired, or by permission of a Visiting Justice. All letters are to pass through the gaoler’s hands.

Any guard or other officer in the establishment conveying letters to or from prisoners in violation of this rule to be subject to immediate dismissal.

VISITING.

Prisoners of the first class allowed to receive visitors, being near relatives, once a month, on Saturdays, between the hours of twelve and one o’clock in the day, for a period not exceeding twenty minutes.

All visits to be made only in the presence of a guard or other officer.

Prisoners of the second class not allowed to receive visitors, except by special order of the visiting Justice.

Provided however that until the term of probation shall have expired those prisoners who have merited such indulgences may be allowed by the Visiting Justice to send and receive letters, and to receive visits at the times prescribed by the last two clauses headed "Letters" and "Visiting."

ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.

Any prisoner leaving his allotted place while at work with intent to escape, or otherwise making any attempt to escape, will render himself liable to be shot by the guard or other persons in whose charge he may be; and each prisoner is hereby cautioned that if he infringes this rule he does so at his own risk and peril.

CLOTHING.

Every prisoner will be supplied with the following articles of clothing, viz:—two cotton shirts, two pairs of trousers, one red serge shirt, one pair of boots, one hat or cap, one rug and two blankets, the whole of which will be marked and numbered with the prisoner’s number, the Government brand, and the letter L.

No prisoner will be allowed to wear any private clothing whatever, except under clothing by order of the medical officer. The same to be marked as above.

Each pair of trousers and boots and each cotton shirt must last six months. Each serge shirt and hat or cap nine months.

WASHING.

Each prisoner to have one clean shirt twice a week. Trousers to be washed once every month. Blankets and rugs every three months.

Prisoners to have their hair cut close once a month and to be close shaved once a week.

RATIONS.

Each prisoner will be entitled to the following scale of rations daily:—

FOR NO. 1 CLASS.

1 lb. fresh meat, 2 lbs. potatoes, 1 lb. bread; ½ oz. soap, ¼ oz. tea, ¼ oz. salt, 2 oz. sugar, 6 oz. oatmeal or 4 oz. cocoa, also 2 sticks of tobacco weekly.



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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa PDF Canterbury Provincial Gazette 1862, No 20





✨ LLM interpretation of page content

⚖️ Convict Prison Regulations for Canterbury Province (continued from previous page)

⚖️ Justice & Law Enforcement
17 October 1862
Convicts, Penal Servitude, Regulations, Canterbury, Lyttelton