The Prisons of New Guinea by Edith M. Carr

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 12, 1910

The Prisons of New Guinea

By Edith M. Carr

EDITH M. CARR

ONE would scarcely recognize the prisons in Papua, for they have no high walls, prison bars, or sentries such as are seen in other countries. They are simply surrounded with a small wire fence. Prisoners are all working during the day, making roads or helping in the various government workshops; some are used at times as messengers. Many of those working on the roads have their feet chained, but only those who have attempted to escape or the dangerous criminals are treated in this way. They work nine hours each day, and at sunset are locked up for the night.

There are twelve prisons in the territory, with about four hundred prisoners in all, one hundred of these being at Port Moresby, of which only a small proportion are women. On the imprisonment of a native, all personal effects are taken from him, to be returned at the expiration of his sentence. As a rule discharged prisoners are eagerly sought for by European employers, as they know something of the English language and have learned how to use horses, tools, etc. They are therefore preferred to the raw recruit. Long-sentence prisoners are generally sent to work at the various government nurseries, while some who have proved trustworthy are employed as wardens. Prisoners receive one and one-half pounds of rice daily, and each week one pound of biscuits, half a pound of meat, half a pound of sugar, one-quarter pound of soap, and one stick of tobacco. This is varied by the use of cocoanuts and other native food grown by the prisoners, which they prefer to imported food. Friends are allowed to visit the prison on Sunday afternoons.

The crimes for which these individuals are imprisoned are cannibalism, murder, adultery, sorcery, desertion, and breaking various laws made by the government especially for the natives.

Although one might expect to see a hardened lot of criminals, with the exception of one or two they are no different in appearance from the ordinary natives.

Papuans have at different times been hanged for the murder of white men, but seldom suffer the death penalty for killing other natives, from two to ten years in jail generally being the punishment. One boy, who is cook to the head jailer, is serving a long sentence for killing his mother. On being asked why he did it, he replied, “Because she was too old to work in the garden, and would be better out of the way.”

Preaching service is conducted every Sunday morning at the prison by a teacher of the London Missionary Society, and attendance on the part of all is compulsory. While we give of our means to missions to help these darkened people, let us not forget to pray for them also, that some may accept the message of salvation which proclaims “liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”