✨ Convict Prison Regulations
191
Duty of Guards
Every 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.
Labour.
Hours of labour 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 daylight and to be locked up before dark.
Divine Service and Instruction.
Before labour every day, and at least once on the Sabbath day, prayer 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 20 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 the special order of the Visiting Justice.
Provided, however, that until the term of probation shall have expired, those prisoners who shall have merited such indulgence 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 person 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 trowsers, 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 G.
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 trowsers 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. Trowsers 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, ½ oz. salt, and 2 ozs. sugar, 6 ozs. oatmeal or 4 ozs. cocoa, also 2 sticks of tobacco weekly.
For No. 2 Class.
1 lb. bread, 1 lb. potatoes, 1 lb. fresh meat, ½ oz. soap, ¼ oz. salt, 4 ozs. of flour.
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Proclamation for Convict Prison Regulations in Otago
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⚖️ Justice & Law Enforcement17 October 1862
Convict Prison, Regulations, Otago, Secondary Punishment Act, 1854, Guards, Traffic, Labour, Divine Service, Letters, Visiting, Escape, Clothing, Washing, Rations
Otago Provincial Gazette 1862, No 215