During the same year, administrative
accountability was intensified with the passage
of “an Act to provide for the proper
management of Gaols.” This act outlined the
powers of the superintendent of police, which
were fairly broad. He was given authority to:

» Make rules and regulations for the
management, discipline and police of the
gaols throughout the Province, and for fixing
and prescribing the duties of the officers and
servants employed therein...;

» Suspend or discipline an employee of the
gaols for misconduct which included
behaviour he found incapable, inefficient or
negligent in the execution of his duty, or
whose presence was deemed injurious to the
gaol. For example, an employee could be
disciplined for bringing into the gaol any
liquor, tobacco, opium, snuff or cigars for any
convict, except where provided for under
gaol regulations; and

» Inspect prisons or anyone employed within
them at any time.

All convicted prisoners in the province
sentenced to hard labour were allowed a ration
of tobacco, prior to implementation of the
Prison Regulations of the Dominion of Canada, After
the regulations were adopted, this ration was
discontinued. Not surprisingly, this led to more
ptisoner complaints and more requests to enter
the gaol infirmary. In a letter dated October 13,
1875, the surgeon of the New Westminster
Gaol wrote to the inspector of gaols:

Granting or withdrawing such ration was of
great service in maintaining discipline of
the jails of this province and was conducive
to better health (particularly for prisoners
with long sentences) of the inmates of the
jails.

The surgeon was responsible for ensuring that
copies of the rules were posted in every prison
and accessible to all concerned. He also
submitted an annual report on the condition
and management of gaols in the province. This
included suggestions for improvements based
on the surgeon’s assessment and gaolers’
reports.

Annual reports became a primary means of
providing an account of gaols and lockups in
the province. Gaolers/wardens were legally
required to submit to the superintendent a
monthly written statement of expenditures and
report on the condition and management of
their gaols. The annual report was to contain:

(a) A return of the names, ages, country, calling,
and crimes of the prisoners received into
each such gaol during the year, and the city,
town or district from which each came;

(b) A return of the names, ages, callings, and
ctimes of the offenders who died in each
such gaol during the year, and the city town
ot district from which each came;

(c) A similar return of the offenders liberated
during the year by the expiration of the term
for which they were sentenced;

(d) A similar return of the offenders pardoned
during the year;

(ec) A statement showing the average number of
prisoners confined in the different gaols
during the year, up to the date of the last
annual return, the number discharged and
the number then in confinement;

(f) A statement of the expenditure for the past
year for the support and maintenance of
each gaol, and the amount paid on all other
accounts during the year; such statement
shall also show, separately, the sums paid for

Era of Punishment (1871-1949)

19