Story: Prisoner support and advocacy

Prison visits, 1901 (2nd of 2)

Edwin Arnold was a member of the Wellington Prisoners' Aid and Rehabilitation Society and a prison visitor at the Terrace and Point Halswell prisons. His logbook recorded interviews with prison officials and prisoners, and the actions he took to assist inmates. On this page of the logbook, Arnold mentions finding a prisoner on the floor of an outhouse at the prison, and his successful attempts to intervene. He also records his commitment to advocate the release of a woman prisoner, Miss Flanagan, who has served 10 years for the murder of her child.

The page reads:

July 6/1901
Visited prison. Interviewed [?] & Byrne I saw Byrne laying in an outhouse it was blowing very cold and the door was open the man was laying on the floor of the Shed he appeared to be very ill and spoke of the treatment he had received and detailed a conversation he had with the Doctor I spoke to the warden about his being in the cold. The warden at once ordered Mr Millingham to remove the man to the padded cell I had received a letter from the mans wife asking me to try & get her an interview with her husband. I saw the Governor [?] who granted an interview but the man was too ill to be brought in. I saw Miss Flanagan who was in for murdering her child ten years ago. She wanted me to intercede to try & get her out. I promised to do what I could. I went through the yards with Mr Sainsbury.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: MSX-5961

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Kathy Dunstall, 'Prisoner support and advocacy - The Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Societies', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/26130/prison-visits-1901 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Kathy Dunstall, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 18 May 2018