This is the first of a two-part feature, giving an overview of the Maltese prisons' living conditions 125 years ago and deals with such matters as punishment, religious services, medical treatment, visits, diet, earnings and other matters.
It is noted that punishments meted out differed from one prison to another and some were very severe ranging from putting on extra irons, half-diet, solitary confinement, the black hole and whipping.
In 1837, the CCF prison of Paola did not exist. It was inaugurated in 1842. This prison would eventually accommodate 200 prisoners in four wings.
In 1837, prisoners were held in five prisons: Valletta, Floriana and Senglea. A separate prison for Gozo was situated at the Cittadella.
- Great Prison (Valletta)
- Prison (Senglea) - for convicts only
- Ospizio Prison (Floriana)
- Castellania Prison Valletta
- Prison - Gozo
These prisons were classified according to the number of prisoners each prison was capable of holding in separate cells and also on the number of prisoners the prison was capable of containing where more than one prisoner slept in one cell.
The prisoners were classified on the basis of sex (male or female) and also whether the prisoners were coloured (black or white) and whether they were tried or untried.
They were also classified on the basis of type of crime; either felons (serious crime punishable for more than one year imprisonment), misdemeanours (assault, shoplifting and petty theft) or debtors.
Prisoners under trial were prohibited from receiving visitors until they had received their indictment after which they were permitted to see their friends.
The Castellania, Valletta (former courthouse and prison) which could hold up to 104 prisoners, when not confined in separate cells
On 31 December 1837, the Return of the Gaols and Houses of Correction statistics reveal that the Maltese prisons were capable of holding in total 101 prisoners in separate cells and 592 where more than one prisoner slept in one cell.
A total of 133 male and 12 females were in prison (tried) and 16 were untried. Two black/coloured persons were also in prison for tried offences.
A Common Gaol was defined as a place formerly used for female lunatics situated within the premises of the Ospizo in Floriana.
One matron was appointed by the Committee of the Government Charitable Institutions and resided in this prison. There were no other officers employed at the Prison and the Overseer of the Wash house of the Ospizio acted as Turn Key.
Classification of prisoners
Other classifications of prisoners were made on the following grounds:
- On the basis of age - over 18 years of age/under 18 years of age
- Number who cannot read
- Prisoners who had committed crime before (once/twice/three or more times)
- At hard labour
- At employment and hard labour
- Not employed
According to the Colonial Act, convicts and prisoners were divided into these classes:
- 15 years and upwards
- 10 years and under 15
- 3 years and under 10
- Under 3 years
- Men and boy prisoners sentenced to simple imprisonment
As far as the place and circumstances permitted, prisoners committed for atrocious offences were kept separate from those for petty offences. The females were invariably kept separate. Boys in the day time were kept in the court yard with other prisoners and by night separate.
The two main prisons were the Great Prison, Valletta which was the Common Gaol and the small prison for convicts only at Senglea.
At the Ospizio, prisoners were divided into four classes:
- Male prisoners committed or under examination for atrocious offences
- Male prisoners for petty offences
- Persons wanting sureties and boys
- Female prisoners under examination or committed for trial or condemned to imprisonment for a period not exceeding eight days
- Prisoners under the death sentence
Visitations of prison by local magistrates and authorities
The prisons fell under the Magistrate of Executive Police, Her Majesty Judges, the Member of the Permanent Committee of Charitable Institutions and all magistrates were authorised to visit the prison within the prison hours whenever they wanted. This was permissible under a Proclamation of 18 July 1831.
Number of officers
The Great Prison in Valletta had a principal gaoler with a deputy debtor's gaoler, a clerk and seven guardians. A gaoler, under gaoler and a guardian resided in the prison. The Senglea Prison had a gaoler clerk and two guardians. The principal gaoler and debtor's gaolers and clerk resided within the prison (at Senglea the gaoler only). At Senglea, there were no female prisoners. No female officer was appointed for female prisoners.
Classes, divisions, wards, work-rooms and airing yards
No work or day rooms were provided but the prisoners were protected by an old passage in the second yard (which was airy) which was used as a working place. The prisoners were not permitted to remain in the sleeping cells during the day.
With regard to hours of labour and exercise: the prisoners worked soon after daylight until late evening before sunset, with an intermission in the middle of the day (one-and-a-half hours to two-and-a-half hours), according to the season, to receive their provisions and rest.
Number of sleeping cells, solitary or dark cells and if below ground
The sleeping cells were 14 in number with 11 for solitary confinement: five of which were dark cells but none below ground.
Dietary or weekly allowance and weekly cost per head, for the different descriptions of prisoners
Daily allowance of 26 ounces of brown bread, 4 ounces paste or dry macaroni which was made into soup with vegetables and 2-and-a-half ounce of cheese or salt fish. Weekly cost per head 1 shilling-and-a-half and three quarter penny.
The Lieutenant-Governor of Gozo and the magistrates paid frequent visits to the prisons and reported to the Lieutenant-governor for any irregularity observed
With regard to bedding a jacket and two pantaloons, two cotton shirts, a palliasse with two woollen blankets which were paid or out of Prison Funds, at a total cost per head per annum of 9 shillings ten pence on an average of seven years.
At the Ospizo prison, the weekly dietary allowance was of 140 ounces of Maltese bread, 28 ounces of paste, 25 ounces and three-fourths fresh meat or the same quantity salt fish or 2 ounces of cheese and 2 ounces of fruit and a portion of vegetables for making soup. The weekly cost per head was one shilling and one-ninth pence.
Employment and hard labour
Employment consisted of trades, carpenters, tailors and hard labour such as sweeping of public streets, public works and work on government carracks.
At the Ospizo, prisoners were employed in washing and mending the beddings and clothing of the inmates of the Ospizio and in sweeping and cleaning the premises.
The prisoners at the Ospizio earned nothing as they only worked for the Ospizo.
Prisoners were only exempted from being employed when reported by the surgeon as sick. Debtors were not allowed to work as well as those condemned by a magistrate to solitary confinement.
In Gozo and in summer the prisoners were employed five hours in the morning and five hours in the afternoon. In winter four hours in the morning and four in the afternoon. They were mainly employed in repairing of roads and sweeping of streets.
Allocation of earnings
During 1837, the total amount of earnings stood at £545.17 which was allocated as follows:
· Government carracks – three-fourths to the prison and two-fifths to the convicts
· Sweeping of streets and public works – three-fourths to the Prison Fund and one-fourth to the convicts
Out of the Prison Fund was supplied: clothing, bedding (beds were made out of straw) and other necessities required for the service of the convicts and prisoners and the monthly remuneration of £5.8.4 granted by the government was to be divided among the prison officers.
During 1836, a total income of £788.18.7 was generated by the Great Prison, Valletta. The sources of income were from the following:
· Cleaning of harbour and government carracks
· Sweeping of streets
· Manufacture in the House of Industry
· Sale of manure from street sweeps
· Work for private individuals
Expenses amounting to £584.11 were related to convicts’ own share in their earnings, cost of bedding and expenses for the prison. The balance in favour was of £204.7.6
Visits, articles of food and clothing from relatives and friends
Convicts were permitted to receive the visits of their parents or relations on the first Sunday of every month. Articles or clothing were strictly prohibited from being introduced. Food was subject to rigorous examination before given to the convict. A stamped order had to be provided from the Magistrate of Executive Police and signed by him.
In Gozo, the prisoners were allowed a visit twice a week and to receive food and clothing whenever they requested it.
Chapel and religious services and supply of Bibles
Since the prisoners were chiefly Catholic, a chaplain of the Catholic Faith celebrated Mass on Sundays and feasts and performed other sacerdotal duties of Religion. The prisoners were to be exclusively of that Faith.
Dissenting ministers (of the Protestant Faith), being the bearers of an order from the Magistrate of Executive Police, were admitted during prison hours. It seems that none ever applied in 1837 to visit the prison.
At the Ospizio, there was a chapel in which the religious ceremonies were performed. Also, the prisoners in the chapel were kept separate from other inmates. The Chaplain of the Ospizo attended once a day to lead prayers and the prisoners were allowed to attend the Ospizio chapel on all Sundays and for confession and other religious acts. No books such as Bibles were supplied or allowed to the prisoners, presumably for security reasons.
The prisoners were permitted to see the chaplain whenever they demanded.
Surgeon
The Surgeon attended daily in visits to prisoners. Serious cases of sickness were sent to the Civil (Central) Hospital, Floriana and treated there. No annex building for the use of the sick was present, but a small room was allotted for that purpose.
During 1837, fever and Cholera Morbus cases were most prevalent during 1837. At the Ospizio, the sick were sent to the infirmary of the said prison.
Whipping, irons and solitary confinement
The reasons for which prisoners were subjected to the above were insubordination, pilfering from each other, refusal to work, want of attention for cleanliness, gambling and using blasphemous language. These were punishable in the first instance by solitary confinement with or without stoppage of allowance and solitary confinement without allowance on repetition of the offences. Whipping was not inflicted or extra irons put on but by sentence of the court.
Only 48 prisoners had been committed in the course of 1837 of being able to read. Female convicts and prisoners sentenced for a period exceeding eight days were sent to the Ospizio.
At the Ospizio, sometimes, prisoners were confined during the day into one of the cells or put on the half diet for quarrelling, swearing and bad language. No other punishment was practised in prison. No underground prison cell/s were present at the Ospizio.
For riots or misbehaviour, prisoners in other prisons were confined in cells or black hole (dark room) on bread and water and for attempts to escape whipping was inflicted.
No insane prisoner was kept in prison and the sufferer was immediately sent to the House for the Insane.
It is noted that the presence of different prisons gave rise to different conditions in each prison. It is little wonder that the authorities built one large prison in Corradino in 1842 in order to have all types of prisoners (whether convicts, felons or other) under one roof.
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References:
· Malta Blue Books 1837 (National Archives – Rabat)
· Government Gazette 1837 (National Archives – Rabat)