Punishment and rewards
Without wages to offer or the power to sack workers, those in charge of convicts used a system of punishment and reward to motivate them to work.
Before the 1820s, convicts were mad to watch public floggings at the lumberyard or convict barracks, as a deterrent to misbehaviour. But fear of the whip was not the most useful inducement to work hard.
Privately assigned convicts were offered extra rations, clothing and ‘indulgences’ such as tea and tobacco, even rum. Good behaviour and hard work could be rewarded by preferred work or free time. A prized reward was a ticket of leave, which allowed convicts to live and work freely within a certain region. Tickets of leave could also be retracted to punish bad behaviour.
When convicts were denied rewards or indulgences to which they felt entitled, they sometimes responded by breaking or losing tools, feigning illnesses or deliberately injuring themselves so they were unfit to work.
Before the 1820s, convicts were mad to watch public floggings at the lumberyard or convict barracks, as a deterrent to misbehaviour. But fear of the whip was not the most useful inducement to work hard.
Privately assigned convicts were offered extra rations, clothing and ‘indulgences’ such as tea and tobacco, even rum. Good behaviour and hard work could be rewarded by preferred work or free time. A prized reward was a ticket of leave, which allowed convicts to live and work freely within a certain region. Tickets of leave could also be retracted to punish bad behaviour.
When convicts were denied rewards or indulgences to which they felt entitled, they sometimes responded by breaking or losing tools, feigning illnesses or deliberately injuring themselves so they were unfit to work.
Punishment
Ideally, punishment needed to be severe enough to defer misbehaviour, but not so harsh as to make men resentful or unfit to work.
Flogging was one form of punishment – 7020 lashes were inflicted at Hyde Park Barracks in 1821. However, sever floggings could leave men unable to work while their wounds healed, or make them hostile towards their employers. Governor Macquarie reduced the number of lashes that could be inflicted. He favoured more humane punishments, of a mental rather than physical nature. Solitary confinement and time marching on the treadmill were increasingly used to encourage convicts to reform their ways. Some convicts were even punished by being made to wear odd-coloured clothing. Being put in irons and sent to work in a chain gang, often in remote areas was a punishment given for severe crimes or to repeat offenders.
Flogging was one form of punishment – 7020 lashes were inflicted at Hyde Park Barracks in 1821. However, sever floggings could leave men unable to work while their wounds healed, or make them hostile towards their employers. Governor Macquarie reduced the number of lashes that could be inflicted. He favoured more humane punishments, of a mental rather than physical nature. Solitary confinement and time marching on the treadmill were increasingly used to encourage convicts to reform their ways. Some convicts were even punished by being made to wear odd-coloured clothing. Being put in irons and sent to work in a chain gang, often in remote areas was a punishment given for severe crimes or to repeat offenders.
Rewards
Governor Macquarie was criticised as being too generous in handing out pardons and tickets of leave to convicts. During his time in office he gave out 2319 tickets of leave, 1365 conditional pardons and 366 absolute pardons.
A ticket of leave was a form of early parole that allowed convicts to support themselves before the end of their sentence. They had to stay within a certain district and report to muster every three months. Private masters sometimes offered to recommend convicts for tickets of leave in return for extra work. A conditional pardon was even better. It allowed convicts to live and work as and where they chose, although they couldn't return to the United Kingdom until their sentence was up. An absolute pardon was best of all. It declared a convict's sentence over and restored their legal rights to those of a free citizen.
A ticket of leave was a form of early parole that allowed convicts to support themselves before the end of their sentence. They had to stay within a certain district and report to muster every three months. Private masters sometimes offered to recommend convicts for tickets of leave in return for extra work. A conditional pardon was even better. It allowed convicts to live and work as and where they chose, although they couldn't return to the United Kingdom until their sentence was up. An absolute pardon was best of all. It declared a convict's sentence over and restored their legal rights to those of a free citizen.
Flogging triangle and whip
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In 1825 the Sydney Gazette reported a curtailment of flogging, claiming the Hyde Park Barracks flogging triangle was now seldom used. Punishment treadmills provided more options, but flogging continued to be used for years to come.
The sadistic Ernest Slade, superintendent of the Barracks in 1833, personally presided over all floggings, introducing new, more punishing design for the whip known as the ‘cat-o-nine-tails’. He boasted that his ‘cat’ made 50 lashes seem like 1000.
Floggings at the barracks in one month in 1833 ranged from 25 to 50 lashes for drunkenness, neglect of duty, stealing shoes and boots, insubordination, assault fellow servant or feigning illness to get out of work. Two men received 75 or 100 lashes, for being 'mutinous' and ‘absconding from escort to the hulk’.
The sadistic Ernest Slade, superintendent of the Barracks in 1833, personally presided over all floggings, introducing new, more punishing design for the whip known as the ‘cat-o-nine-tails’. He boasted that his ‘cat’ made 50 lashes seem like 1000.
Floggings at the barracks in one month in 1833 ranged from 25 to 50 lashes for drunkenness, neglect of duty, stealing shoes and boots, insubordination, assault fellow servant or feigning illness to get out of work. Two men received 75 or 100 lashes, for being 'mutinous' and ‘absconding from escort to the hulk’.
Parti-coloured suit
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The parti-coloured punishment suit was worn by recalcitrant men and repeat offenders, nicknamed ‘canary men’. It was a public humiliation to have to wear the ridiculous suit made of yellow and black or grey and white wool. The pants had side buttons to allow them to be put on and taken off while leg irons remained fixed to ankles.
Men in the 'jail gang' were put to work doub1e ironed, loading and unloading cargo at Sydney's dockyard. They wore the parti-coloured suit and received only a single ration per day. Convict men who behaved badly during the voyage out could be sent straight to the town’s jail gang.
Men in the 'jail gang' were put to work doub1e ironed, loading and unloading cargo at Sydney's dockyard. They wore the parti-coloured suit and received only a single ration per day. Convict men who behaved badly during the voyage out could be sent straight to the town’s jail gang.
Treadmill
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Convicts were made to step continuously on punishment treadmills to power wheels that ground grain. The men were rotated on and off the treadmills with rest periods of about 20 minutes per hour.
This monotonous task was supposed to be a reformative punishment, unlike flogging. It also put convict manpower to good use, as they were helping to feed themselves. In 1825 Sydney’s treadmills were praised for producing 40 bushels (1000 kilograms) of ground corn per day.
Doctors and humanitarians were concerned that this type of punishment might be damaging to health. An overseer recorded in the ‘House of Correction Register’ each man’s weight as they went on and came off the treadmill to make sure they weren’t wasting away.
Two punishment treadmills were installed at Carters Barracks in 1823 and were used for the next 25 years. The larger treadmill was worked by 36 prisoners at a time, with 18 on each side. The smaller had ten men on each side.
This monotonous task was supposed to be a reformative punishment, unlike flogging. It also put convict manpower to good use, as they were helping to feed themselves. In 1825 Sydney’s treadmills were praised for producing 40 bushels (1000 kilograms) of ground corn per day.
Doctors and humanitarians were concerned that this type of punishment might be damaging to health. An overseer recorded in the ‘House of Correction Register’ each man’s weight as they went on and came off the treadmill to make sure they weren’t wasting away.
Two punishment treadmills were installed at Carters Barracks in 1823 and were used for the next 25 years. The larger treadmill was worked by 36 prisoners at a time, with 18 on each side. The smaller had ten men on each side.
Leg irons
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Being put to hard labour in irons was one of the worst punishments given to convicts. Men were typically sentenced to three or six months in irons for crimes such as repeatedly running away, trying to escape the colony, highway robbery or selling government property.
Leg irons worn by gangs came in three sizes, weighing between 3 and 4 kilograms. The heaviest irons were jail irons, weighing 7.5 kilograms, worn by men awaiting trial on serious crimes, but it wasn’t possible to work in those.
Leg irons were made by blacksmiths at Sydney’s lumberyard after those sent from England proved to be inferior and easily slipped off. Irons were affixed to and struck off convicts ankles by the blacksmiths.
Leg irons worn by gangs came in three sizes, weighing between 3 and 4 kilograms. The heaviest irons were jail irons, weighing 7.5 kilograms, worn by men awaiting trial on serious crimes, but it wasn’t possible to work in those.
Leg irons were made by blacksmiths at Sydney’s lumberyard after those sent from England proved to be inferior and easily slipped off. Irons were affixed to and struck off convicts ankles by the blacksmiths.