GRAND total of 8,530 prisoners, the highest in the existence of the institution, were housed in the Ward Road Gaol on January 1, 8,077 being Chinese. The latter figure rose to 8,241 by January 31, the peak recorded during the past year and since the establishment of the gaol, according to the annual report of the gaol branch of the Police Force. Owing to the conditions prevailing little or no improvement can be expected in 1941, it was stated. The report among other things stated "Recruiting foy the Foreign and the corrected death rate is 35.81 Branch was held in abeyance dur- per mille in comparison to 26.727 for ing the year due to the suspension 1939, of long leave as a result of the "The increase is attributed to the European war. large number of prisoners who were "It was found to be impossible to admitted to the gaol suffering from obtain suitable Indian recruits dur- malnutrition and other sickness. ing the year with the result that 24 of the existing vacancies were Foreign Section transferred to the Chinese Branch.
With the exception of three British No difficulty was experienced in Consular prisoners sentenced to death obtaining Chinese recruits. and later reprieved there is nothing outstanding to report in this section Discipline Satisfactory Guring the year. The conduct of the "The standard of discipline in re-prisoners was good and their health satisfactory. There were two deaths gard to the foreign and Indian branches during the year was satis-during the year resulting from Chronie Mycardities and drug habit factory, but dismissals amongst the Chinese branch numbered 21. The in one case and the other. which majority of these dismissals were the occurred in the Municipal Isolation Hospital. from Typhus fever. result of trafficking with prisoner:
"The health of the staff was on "The Convict Labour Department has been exceptionally busy through-the whole good. There was an out the year, particularly the printing epidemic of dengue fever during the department due to increased work summer months which affected quite mot of a orions nature. ments and the need for economy in from the various Municipal Depart-
JFhere were three deaths recorded Such work. One additional printing amongst the Chinese stof whilst Press was installed during the year eight others were invalided in ad- and a further one has been ordered dition to five Indians. for 1941 to replace existing worn out "The total number of prisoners|™achinery.
The us minor repair continued to rise during the early ithin the Goo] precincts was part of the year, but a gradual deied out for the Public Works cline set in during the summer Department in addition to general months, This, however, has not been work for the Police Department, etc. maintained as the total has been on The daily average number of work-the increase once again since the men employed during the year was month of September. 2.148.
"The grand total for all three sections on January 1, was 8.530 which figure is the highest in the existence of the Gaol.
"Due to the conditions prevailing little or no improvement can be expected during 1941, unless some unforeseen changes occur.
Armed crime is still very prevalent and at the end of the year there was a total of 3,137 prisoners detained under the heading of Robbery and Snatching,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.