"تقرير عن إدارة رئاسة بومباي لسنة ١٨٨٢-١٨٨٣." [ظ‎‎١‎٠‎٢] (٤٩٨/٢١٣)

150
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
Chap. III.
PROTECTION.
Europeans.
Juveniles.
Sentences.
Transportation
Convicts,
Re -convicted Pri
soners,
Escapes.
Punishments.
Instruction,
Convict Warders.
Subordinate Jails.
Civil Jails.
Cost.
Rations.
[1882-83.
gome present indulgence for good conduct and industry than the possible gain of n f
days’ liberty before expiry of their sentence, months or even years hence. Yet on the whof
the system has had a good effect on the conduct of the prisoners ; and the more the certain!
of release for industry and good conduct becomes known the more it will be appreciate!
Indian prisoners are, as a rule, very obedient and well-conducted in jail, and rarely fail?'
complete their tasks if practicable, and the system aims at giving one in six of the prisone
in the mark registers some remission.
The number of admissions of Europeans into jail had fallen to 159 in 1880, and sin
then it has been rising, and stands at 276 in the present year, of whom 251 were confined ^
the jails in the city of Bombay. This is chiefly due to the large number admitted for ofTen! 11
under the Shipping Act. There is a considerable decrease in the number of juveniles admitted 8
the number is 243, and has steadily decreased from 740 in 1879.
Yearly 75 per cent, of the prisoners were confined under sentences of less than six months’
duration and 12 per cent, for more than six months, but less than one year, 7'4 per cent, were
confined between one and two years, and only 6 per cent, were confined for more than two
years. These proportions have hardly varied for some years, and the number of short-term
sentences is due to the action of the Presidency Magistrates at Bombay.
Transportation convicts who are considered physically fit for deportation to the Andamans
are now sent across to Calcutta for examination before being finally shipped off to that settle
ment ; but so many have been rejected by the medical board that the number of such men
at theThana Jail has increased very largely, and not 1 in 3 of the prisoners sentenced to trans
portation will have their sentences carried out. Glovernment have now under consideration
certain proposals for the treatment of transport prisoners not sent to the Andamans; but it i 8
undoubtedly desirable that as many as possible of these convicts who are eligible in point of
health, age and length of sentence for transportation to the Andamans should be sent there
The small Maratha is apt to be rejected, because he does not contrast favourably with the bio--
framed Punjabi or better fed inhabitant of the Yorth-West Provinces. The plan of haviim
the Bombay prisoners examined at Calcutta appears to be costly, and works unsatisfactorily
and it is proposed to have them examined at Bombay by medical officers accustomed to the
races of this Presidency.
There has been a gradual increase in the ratio of re-convicted prisoners to admissions for
the last four years, due to the fact that the registration and recognition of re-convicted
prisoners have become more certain of late years. It is now 15 per cent, of the admissions,
On the release of old offenders descriptive rolls are sent to the District Magistrate and Police,
and more attention is now paid to this subject. As usual, by far the largest ratio of re-convicted
prisoners to admissions into jail is in the city of Bombay. It is satisfactory to observe that
the number of re-convicted juveniles admitted shows a large decrease when compared with
former years ; it has decreased from 44 per cent, in 1880 to 18 per cent.
There were 30 escapes during the year; but as nearly one-third of the male prisoners are
employed on extra-mural work, chiefly on canals in thick jungles, there is greater opportunity
for escape. Only 4 escapes took place from inside jail walls, and 6 from subordinate jails.
1,765 prisoners, or 21 per cent., were punished for offences against jail discipline, and the
ratio has been steadily declining. 320 men were flogged as against 806 in the previous year,
and superintendents have again been instructed not to inflict corporal punishment for trivial
offences, and only in cases where it is necessary to put down insubordination, or act as a deterrent.
Penal diet is generally ordered as a punishment for being in possession of forbidden articles
and for offences relating to work. Other forms of punishment are chiefly confinement in stocks
and shot-drill.
On an average 222 prisoners were daily under instruction, and of the 128 who were released
after having received some education in jail, 75 were able to read a little, and 48 able to read
and write well. These results are not considered satisfactory.
The system of employing convict warders continues to give satisfaction; they are found
to be most useful in maintaining discipline, and are on the whole trustworthy.
There are 56 subordinate jails which contained a daily average of 311 prisoners, 6 of
whom escaped and 7 died in imprisonment. The proportionate cost of maintaining subordinate
jails is generally higher than that of district jails, and great difficulties exist in carrying out
sentences of hard labour and of making it remunerative.
2,655 debtors were received into the civil jails in which the daily average in confinement
was 181; the average cost per prisoner was Bs. 47-5-3.
The number of prisoners being less, the gross cost was reduced to Rs. 5,77,915, or
Rs. 65-7-3 per head. Cheap food has caused a fall in the price of rations : in the previous year
the amount was Rs. 23-12-4 per head, and in the present year it is still lower at Rs. 22-9-5.
The cost of establishment being more or less fixed, the smaller the numbers of prisoners the
higher is the individual cost, which this year is Rs. 26-2-4; for the same reason the police
guard cost a little more at Rs. 7-5-8 per head. The hospital charges were slightly reduced to
Rs. 1-9-8, and the clothing to Rs. 2-9-1, but contingencies have risen to Rs. 5-3-1 per head.
The difference in the average cost at which prisoners are fed in the different jails is
somewhat remarkable : for instance, a prisoner’s rations at Kaladgi cost only Rs. 8-5-7 per
annum, while the same diet costs Rs. 43-4-10 at Aden, and the cost at the several gang 8
employed on public works is higher than at the neighbouring jails. At Mhasvad the cost per