PRISON REGULATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17375, 24 July 1918, Page 2

PRISON REGULATIONS

HARD LABOUR DEFINED.. Now regulations under the Prisons Act, published in last week's Gazette, set forth tile trades and occupations at whicii prisoners may be employed. Hard labour prisoners may be required to undertake agricultural work, biacksuu'thing, brickmaking, carpentry, manufacture of concreto blocks, tiles, and other concrete products, concrete-mixing, draining and ditching, excavating, general building work, hammer and drill work, plastering, ploughing, roadmaking, stone-breaking, stone-dressing, tinsmithing, wall-building. Light labour prisoners may be given basketnaaking, brushmaking, bootmalving, cabinotmaking, cleaning and washing, coir-mat making, cooking, gardening, oakum-picking, painting, physical drill, sweeping, tailoring, and any other light labour not included in the hard labour schedule.

Other regulations prescribe the treatment that is to bo given to misdemeanants of tile first class and the second class. Misdemeanants of tho First Division, who are imprisoned for non-compliance with the order of any court to pay a sum of money, or imprisoned in respect of a distress to satisfy a sum of money ordered to be paid by a court of justice, shall be required to keep their cells and utensils clean and in good order, and shall receive the scale of rations laid down for prisoners not working at hard labour. They shall be kept separate from the criminal prisoners, and shall bo allowed visits daily at a convenient hour, and to correspond daily with their friends.

Misdemeanants of the First Division, imprisoned in default of maintenance, under the- Destitute Persons Acts, shall be required to work at one of the occupations prescribed for light labour prisoners, and shall receive fie scale of rations laid down for prisoners not working at hard labour, unless the Inspector of Prisons shall direct that they are be given tho scale provided for hard-labour" prisoners. They shall be kept as far as possible separate from criminal prisoners, and shall be allowed visits weekly at a convenient hour. They shall be allowed to correspond twice in each week with their relatives and friends. Every person convicted of an offence and not sentenced to hard labour shall be treated as a misdemeanant of the Second Division, -unless the court or judge before whom such person has been tried otherwise orders. Second-class misdemeanants shall be required to work at one of the occupations prescribed for light-labour prisoners, and shall receive the scale of rations laid down for prisoners not working at hard labour, unless the Inspector of Prisons shall direct that thev are to be Riven the scale provided for hard-labour prisoners. They shall be kept, as far as poss : ble, separate from criminal prisoners, and shall be allowed vis-ts fortnightly at a convenient hour. They shall be .allowed to correspond once in naeh fortnight with their relatives and friends.