Prison Regulations Text




140
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

property taken from them, will be entered in a book
kept for the purpose, with the signature of the officer
who has charge of them, and of the prisoner from
whom they are received.

  1. Every prisoner is to be kept steadily and
    constantly at labour. No relaxation of such labour
    will be permitted until the prisoner shall have com-
    pleted at least one-third of his sentence with good
    conduct, when any of them may be selected by the
    Gaoler to act as wardsmen, cooks, or in other such
    office.

Complaints by Prisoners.
7. They are to pay implicit obedience to all lawful
commands they may receive, and they are on all
occasions to pay proper respect to all persons placed
in authority over them.

  1. They are at all times and in all places to conduct
    themselves with order and regularity, and silence
    must be strictly observed when marching to and from
    their place of labour. At no time is any conversation
    to be permitted beyond what is necessary.

  2. Prisoners having any matter to represent or
    complain of must address themselves to the Gaoler,
    whose duty it will be to see justice done to them.
    They are not however precluded from addressing
    themselves to the Visiting Justices; but they should
    remember that for making idle or frivolous complaints
    they will render themselves liable to punishment.

  3. They must appear on all occasions clean in
    person and in dress. Clothing and bedding will be
    marked with a number, and the wilful loss or damage
    of any of those articles will be visited with severe
    punishment.

  4. They shall attend Divine service with the
    denomination to which they belong at the appointed
    times, and shall behave themselves with due pro-
    priety.

  5. The religious denomination of each prisoner is
    to be determined by his own statement upon his
    reception into the prison; and no prisoner is to be
    allowed to hold intercourse with a clergyman of a
    different denomination unless extraordinary circum-
    stances should require it, such as immediate prospect
    of death.

  6. The Sunday shall be kept holy, and as a day of
    rest. Whenever a clergyman does not attend the
    prison on that day, prayers will be read by the
    Gaoler.

  7. Prisoners of the Jewish denomination will not
    be compelled to labour on their Sabbath, but may be
    employed on any necessary duty on a Sunday.

  8. Each prisoner will be provided with a Bible and
    Prayer Book, approved by the religious denomina-
    tion to which he belongs, and books of a secular
    character will also be provided for instruction.
    The defacing or damaging of any book will be visited
    with severe punishment.

  9. Prisoners behaving in a refractory manner will
    be brought before a Visiting Justice, who will inflict
    such lawful punishment as the case may demand.
    They will on all such occasions be placed in separate
    confinement to await trial, if necessary in irons.

  10. They are not to have in their possession any
    article of food, clothing, &c., except such as shall have
    been issued to them, and sanctioned by the medical
    officer or gaoler. All articles of luxury, such as
    tobacco, are strictly prohibited.

  11. Gaming, dancing, swearing, fighting, singing,
    and loud conversation, are strictly prohibited.

  12. Prisoners must not leave their place of work
    without authority.

  13. Any person sleeping out of his own berth will
    be punished for misconduct.

  14. Prisoners upon reception may write one letter;
    afterwards they will not be allowed to send or receive
    letters oftener than once in three months, except
    through the Gaoler, who will inspect them, and
    exercise his own discretion as to their delivery; and
    they must not hold any communication whatever with
    any person without his authority. They may
    however, if well conducted, be permitted to see their
    friends on the first Saturday in each quarter.

  15. Any prisoner conniving at a breach of the
    regulations will be considered as an accessory, and
    punished for misconduct.

  16. A copy of the regulations shall be suspended
    in each ward, and shall be read to the prisoners, and
    explained to them once a month.

  17. There shall also be suspended in each ward a
    list of names of all prisoners belonging to it, in which
    will be noted the offence, sentence, and date of
    reception into the establishment, and a record of
    conduct whilst therein.

  18. Each prisoner to have his hair kept close cut,
    to be shaved on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to wash his
    feet on the latter day, and to put on a clean shirt on
    Sundays.

  19. Prisoners about to be discharged will be allowed
    to let their hair grow for a month previously. On
    the day of discharge they shall deliver to the Gaoler
    the prison clothing in their possession in a clean and
    neat state; and will be placed in possession of all
    effects taken from them on committal.

  20. Every prisoner not employed at hard labour
    shall take exercise for two hours every morning, and
    for two hours every afternoon, weather permitting.

Prisoners in Solitary or Separate Confinement.
28. Every prisoner, before being placed in a cell,
shall be strictly searched.

  1. He shall then be shown the cell, and caused to
    examine it carefully, in order that any marking or
    defacing may be at once thereafter detected.

  2. Prisoners undergoing separate treatment are
    not to be released without the special authority of a
    Visiting Justice.

  3. Prisoners shall not, upon any pretence what-
    ever, communicate, either by words or signs, with
    each other, or with the employed in cleaning
    their cells, nor sing, whistle, dance, or make any
    noise whatever during their confinement. They are
    forbidden to stop any of the ventilating apparatus, or
    to deface the walls of their cells.

  4. Should any prisoner wish to see a Visiting
    Justice, Chaplain, Medical Officer, or the Gaoler, he
    is to inform the visiting officer; but all further com-
    munication is strictly prohibited.

  5. When prisoners are taken out to exercise,
    which will not be until the third day after their
    admission, they are to be kept marching in line, five
    yards apart, and facing in the same direction.

Cooks.
34. The Cooks shall be in such proportion as may
from time to time be directed, and shall be selected
from the best-conducted men among those who shall
have completed one-third of their sentence.

  1. They will be held responsible that the prisoners'
    rations are properly cooked, and distributed according
    to the directions of the Gaoler.

  2. They will be required to have the cook-house,
    cooking utensils, tables, mess-kits, pails, &c., at all
    times properly cleansed, and kept in their proper
    places.

  3. They are to be employed during spare time in
    such work as the Gaoler may allot them.

Wardsmen.
38. There will be such Wardsmen employed in the
prison as may be considered necessary, for the clean
state and the general order of which they will be held
responsible.

  1. The night-tubs in use in the prison are to be


Next Page →



Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa PDF NZ Gazette 1874, No 12





✨ LLM interpretation of page content

⚖️ Continuation of Dunedin Prison Regulations (Sections 6-39) (continued from previous page)

⚖️ Justice & Law Enforcement
19 February 1874
Prison rules, Conduct, Labour, Complaints, Solitary confinement, Cooks, Wardsmen, Discipline