[“West Australian Prisons”, The West Australian, Tuesday 24 December 1907, page 8]
WEST AUSTRALIAN PRISONS.
COMPTROLLER-GENERAL’s REPORT.
AN INTERESTING REVIEW.
The report by the Comptroller-General of Prisons (Mr. Oct. Burt) for the year 1906 was presented to Parliament on Friday. In this document Mr. Burt says:—
A police gaol was declared at Onslow in July, 1906. In addition to Fremantle Prison, Hamel and Rottnest, there were in the State on the 31st December last 25 penal institutions, viz., 10 common gaols and 15 police gaols. The number of prisoners confined on the last day of the year was 690, or eight more than on the night of December 31, 1905. 654 were males and 36 females. Compared with 1905 there was an increase of 13 males and a decrease of five females; 257 or over 37 per cent. were aborigines, 50 or almost 7 per cent, were coloured aliens, 140 or just on 20 per cent. were whites of other countries, and 243 or 35 per cent. claimed to have been born in Australasia.
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“Altogether 3,023 males and 492 females were committed last year;..
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The largest increase in commitments occurred at Wyndham, and the largest decrease at Perth.
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Useful work has been performed by the prisoners at outlying gaols, more particularly at Wyndham, Broome, Roebourne, and Carnarvon. The chief employment being reclaiming of foreshore, working on roads and quarrying stone. The amount of money paid last year to prisoners on their discharge as earnings amounted to £318 13s. 8d., and the amount paid for railway fares for those prisoners who were returned to the districts whence they were received was £81 13s. 10d. The conduct of the prisoners during the year has been good.
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I desire to call attention to the large number of native prisoners who are convicted on their own admission of guilt. The number is assuming serious proportions to the total number convicted, and the matter is one which seems to call for inquiry. At the moment of writing there are out of 230 in gaol no less than 80 who have been so convicted.
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AB notes:
This report applies to the 1906 calendar year. “The largest increase in commitments occurred at Wyndham...”
Of particular significance is the summation that begins:
“I desire to call attention to the large number of native prisoners who are convicted on their own admission of guilt...”
