PRISON MALCONTENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23882, 9 August 1939, Page 12

PRISON MALCONTENTS

COMPLAINT ABOUT CORNED BEEF RINGLEADERS DISCIPLINED (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, July 25. Following a demonstration by between 70 and 100 young prisoners in the Goulburn Reformatory against the serving of corned beef for a mid-day meal, four men alleged to be the ringleaders were transferred to Parramatta Gaol, where more rigid discipline is enforced. Nine other prisoners were given solitary confinement. The serving of corned beef at the Thursday mid-day meal has been the practice for some time. When the prisoners were lined up for the usual muster after the mid-day meal last Thursday, one squad and then another refused to obey orders. All concerned were young men, although among them were several long-term prisoners. The governor of the reformatory sent for the prisoners' leaders, and firmly impressed on the prisoners that their defiant attitude was regarded seriously, and that such breaches of discipline would not be countenanced. He pointed out that prison rules . provided a proper avenue of approach to the governor in cases where prisoners had legitimate grievances, and gave an undertaking that consideration would be given to any individual complaint placed before him. The prisoners then quietly resumed their routine duties

A more serious outbreak occurred on Sunday, when, it was alleged, the malcontents threatened other prisoners who refused to join them in complaints about the food, and violence was even used, but difficultv was found in identifying the leaders because of the prison " code of honour." One prisoner gashed the head of another in the boot-making shop by striking him with a boot-last. In another insitance, an iron bucket was hurled by one man at another, who apparently would not join the malcontents, but the bucket missed its mark. Another prisoner picked up a hot soldering iron while in the plumbing shop, and pressed it against a warder's hand. On Sunday morning, during the period allotted for exercise, a fight developed between several men, as a result of which nine of them were sent into solitary confinement, and at night the* men in their cells spent some time shouting and yelling at the top of their voices. There are about 300 prisoners in the reformatory and 60 warders are on the staff. When the prisoners' unrest was observed last week, warders on leave were recalled. On Sunday, because of the defiant attitude of the prisoners, police reinforcements were summoned, but control was regained before police aid was necessary, and the order for the police was countermanded. The Comptroller of Prisons, Mr Hinchey, motored from Sydney to Goulburn, and attended an inquiry, at which the men mainlv concerned in the troubles were tried by a magistrate who ordered the transfer of four prisoners and the solitary confinement of nine others.