In addition to segregation, the committee
addressed other complaints:

Issue: Prisoners awaiting trial alleged that
the food was insufficient and that time
allowed for exercise was inadequate.

Response: The problem with food was not
substantiated, It was recommended that
hours of exercise be increased for prisoners
awaiting trial.

Issue: A serious problem was noted in the
lack of facilities for medical treatment.

Response: The committee recommended a
hospital that would be attached to the
institution.

In the following year, a select committee

appointed to visit the provincial gaol at Victoria
heard a recurring complaint:

Issue: Employing prisoners outside the gaol
was viewed as problematic.

Response: The committee recommended
employing prisoners on the gaol property
rather than outside of it. This
recommendation was not followed.

Prison discipline for staff

Despite attempts to implement a disciplined
regime within the gaols, problems continued.
This became evident with the appointment of
several commissions of inquiry under the Public
Inguiries Act. These inquiries investigated
charges of inappropriate conduct affecting the
operation of provincial gaols.

In 1889, a commission of inquiry was
established to investigate charges concerning
the operation of the Victoria city gaol (at
Bastion Square). The charges against two
employees involved drunkenness, improper
discipline and food service. Gaol staff were not
only expected to maintain social distance from
inmates, but also to set exemplary behaviour.
The charges show that such discipline was not
always followed.

In the first matter, regarding drunkenness and
improper conduct, the commissioner
concluded:

“The result of the whole of the evidence, in
my opinion, is that Muldoon has been

under the influence of liquor on more than
one occasion, extending over a period of 12

months.”

On a second charge brought against a second
staff member, Justice Tyrwhitt Drake stated:

“Tam of the opinion that Ferrall did not
keep proper discipline in the chain gang
over which he was appointed; he used to
work with the prisoners, instead of
confining himself to his duty as guard, and
discussed politics with them,”

The food charge was unsubstantiated and
dismissed as “frivolous.”

26

Corrections in British Columbia