xiii REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO VI.
Remedial Measures.
Gaols.
Relative and respective Duties of Governors mid Chaplains.
Medical Officers.
Chaplains.
Matron.
Instruction of Juvenile Offenders.
Illegal payments to Prisoners, as " other Officers."
Comparative state¬ ment of maintenance of Prisoners and of paupers, and cost thereof:
Prison should be promoted to it by the Local Board of Superintendence; provi¬ ded the person whom they may so promote, be deemed fit for the office by the Inspectors-General; otherwise, that one be appointed from amongst the Turnkeys of some other Gaol.
We think these provisions would encourage good conduct, and promote laudable emulation.
We are aware that there are at present amongst tho Governors of Prisons in Ireland, several, who, from tho best possible motives, labour unceasingly to reform the Prisoners in their charge by morn 1 precept and exhortation, and that the ser¬ vices of men qualified by education and habit for such a task would not probably be procured, if such suggestions as we have offered with respect to Gaolers, or Governors of Prisons, as to Salaries and Promotion from a lower grade were adopted; but we think it should be left to the Ministers of religion, not to the Gaolers or Governors of Gaols, to lecture, to admonish, and to instruct the Prisoners in their moral and religious duties.
The business of the Gaoler should be to see that the Cells of the Prisoners aro clean and well aired—that their clothing and bedding are clean—-that their persons are kept clean also—that tlicy have their proper meals at proper hours—that the Prisoners under sentence are put regularly to work—and that all are kept as separate from each other, and as free from the contamination of bad example and discourse as possible—in short, that it should be for the Chaplains to teach the Prisoners what they owe to God and their neighbour, for conscience' sake—and that it should be for the Gaoler to teach them, by stern, not cruel discipline,—to fear a Prison—to think, with dread, of returning to it,—and therefore, to leave it deterred themselves, and with feelings likely to deter others, from the evil ways that lead to it.
Should the foregoing suggestions bo adopted, it would be necessary, as the Governor would not be appointed by the Sheriff, that the Governor, not the Sheriff, should be made responsible for the safe keeping of such Debtors as may be in the Prison, and security should be required from him accordingly.
With respect to Medical Officers, wo find that in several Gaols, the number of Prisoners in which exceed the average number in the Gaols of Ireland, in gene¬ ral, the Salaries of the Medical Officers do not average £50 a-year ; but we think a Salary of £50 a-year would be a fair average Salary, and we have estimated for Medical Officers accordingly.
With respect to Chaplains.—The
Salaries to tho Chaplains in each of the Prisons of Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Monaghan, amount to £90 a-year, and in each of these there arc three Chaplains required, while in some Counties there are only two.
We have, however, estimated for £90 a-ycar in every Gaol.
We have estimated for a Matron in each Gaol at £40 a-ycar, but we have not estimated for a Schoolmaster, for a Clerk, or for the charge comprised 'hi the Returns of the Inspectors-General, under the head of" other Officers."
Where there are Juvenile Offenders, such School instruction as it may be proper to give to them, should be given by one of the Turnkeys, and the Accounts of the Gaol should be kept by the Gaoler or Governor, who should bo made strictly responsible for their accuracy.
It is to be observed that no Clerk is allowed in either of the sun foregoing Prisons.
As for the charge made in some Prisons for " other Officers," we understand that by " other Officers" aro in general meant, Prisoners who are employed in cleaning out the Cells and Day-rooms, and who receive allowances of money for so doing.
The Inspectors-General inform us that they have over and over again objected to these allowances as contrary to Law, yet they have been persevered in.
They should be positively prohibited, and therefore we have not included them in our Estimate.
Our Estimate for Salaries, taking them at the mean,—between the amount at which the are to commence and the highest to which they may rise—amounts altogether to £19,665 13*.
Qd.
As to the support of the Prisoners.—-W'e
think there can be no question that those who are sent for crime, or even imputed crime, to a Prison, should not fare better than poor persons who are driven by destitution to a Workhouse ; and we see by the Estimate laid before Parliament in 1841, for the House of Industry in Dublin, that the sum set clown for the Diet of aged and infirm Paupers is at the rate of dd.
per head a-day, which comes to £4 lis.
3d.
per head per annum.
Also that the sum set clown for Clothing, Bedding, Furniture, Coals* Soap, Candles, Qil, and Medicines, is at the rate of £l 19,?.
per head per annum,
