Outram Prison
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Outram Prison, also known as Pearl's Hill Prison or Civil Jail, was a prison at
Pearl's Hill Pearl's Hill, briefly Mount Stamford, is a small hill in Singapore. Located in the vicinity of Chinatown, it is one of the few surviving hills in the city area. History The hill was the location of gambier plantations owned by the Chinese who ...
, Outram, Singapore. Originally occupied and known as the Civil Jail, Outram Prison was opened in 1882 and served as the main prison complex before the construction of
Changi Prison Changi Prison Complex, often known simply as Changi Prison, is a prison complex in the namesake district of Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. It is the oldest and largest prison in the country, covering an area of about . Opened in 193 ...
in 1936. It was demolished in 1963 and replaced by
Housing and Development Board The Housing & Development Board (HDB; often referred to as the Housing Board; ; ; ), is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of National Development (Singapore), Ministry of National Developmen ...
(HDB) blocks and a shopping complex.


History


Civil Jail

In 1847, Charles Edward Faber built the Civil Jail, also known as Her Majesty's Gaol, at the present site at Pearl's Hill, Outram. Two
time capsule A time capsule is a historic treasure trove, cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy ...
s were buried at the base of the foundation, containing
parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...
with revenue figures and different types of currency. In 1872, a
Commission of Inquiry A royal commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue in some monarchies. They have been held in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia. In republics an equiv ...
into the prison system suggested that current prison regimes had 'lost sight of the punitive aspect of prison life'. After the riot at Bras Basah Jail, a plan to build an extension that would be more secure was considered at either Bras Basah Jail or the Civil Jail; they later decided to build the extension at Civil Jail.


Outram Prison

When Outram Prison was built between 1879 and 1882 at the Civil Jail site by J. F. A. McNair, they adopted a more cellular concept that included stricter control of the prison perimeter. Outram Prison was also built using convict labour from Bras Basah Jail. After the
1915 Singapore Mutiny The 1915 Singapore Mutiny, (also known as the 1915 Sepoy Mutiny or the Mutiny of the 5th Light Infantry) was a mutiny of elements of the British Indian Army's 5th Light Infantry in British Singapore. Up to half of the regiment, which consi ...
, 47
sepoy ''Sepoy'' () is a term related to ''sipahi'', denoting professional Indian infantrymen, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire and the Maratha. In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its Euro ...
s were publicly executed by
firing squad Firing may refer to: * Dismissal (employment), sudden loss of employment by termination * Firemaking, the act of starting a fire * Burning; see combustion * Shooting, specifically the discharge of firearms * Execution by firing squad, a method of ...
at Outram Prison while others were sentenced to imprisonment for up to 20 years. The executions were witnessed by an estimated 15,000 people. In the 1930s, Outram Prison suffered from
overcrowding Overcrowding or crowding is the condition where more people are located within a given space than is considered tolerable from a safety and health perspective. Safety and health perspectives depend on current environments and on local cultural ...
and was considered a hazard. The prison was designed to hold up to 1,080 prisoners but, in the 1920s, gained an average daily number of convicts of 1,043 and had reached up to 1,311 by 1931. This led to plans for a new prison to be built at
Changi Changi ( ) is a planning area located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah in the East Region of Singapore. Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the ...
. After the construction of
Changi Prison Changi Prison Complex, often known simply as Changi Prison, is a prison complex in the namesake district of Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. It is the oldest and largest prison in the country, covering an area of about . Opened in 193 ...
, Outram Prison was used to hold convicts serving short sentences whilst Changi Prison was used for longer sentences. During the
Japanese occupation of Singapore , officially , was the name for Colony of Singapore, Singapore when it was occupied and ruled by the Empire of Japan, following the fall and surrender of British military forces on 15 February 1942 during World War II. The Japanese military ...
, Outram Prison was known as Outram Road Gaol and was controlled by the Japanese and used to hold
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. 1,470 prisoners died of starvation, torture, and diseases while only 400 survived by 1945. As a result, 44 Japanese officers were convicted of
war crime A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...
s committed at Outram Prison with 3 generals executed. The prison was handed back to the British following the end of the occupation. In 1952, a new block for female convicts was made, replacing the block for European convicts. In 1954, a new block for remanding convicts was made. In 1956, a centre for reforming youths was opened at Outram Prison, replacing the remanding block.


Demolition

In 1963, then-
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
announced plans to demolish Outram Prison and replace it with a
Housing and Development Board The Housing & Development Board (HDB; often referred to as the Housing Board; ; ; ), is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of National Development (Singapore), Ministry of National Developmen ...
(HDB) estate. Convicts from Outram Prison were transferred to Changi Prison and Bedok Reformation Centre. Outram Prison was replaced by Queenstown Remand Prison in 1966, which cost to build. In 1966, works began to build 1,000 housing units and 400 shops. In 1970, public housing and a shopping complex called Outram Park Complex were built.


See also

*
Changi Prison Changi Prison Complex, often known simply as Changi Prison, is a prison complex in the namesake district of Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. It is the oldest and largest prison in the country, covering an area of about . Opened in 193 ...


References

{{reflist Demolished buildings and structures in Singapore 1882 establishments in Southeast Asia Capital punishment in Singapore Japanese prisoner of war and internment camps Military of Singapore under British rule Prisons in Singapore British colonial prisons in Asia World War II prisoner-of-war camps in Singapore Execution sites 1963 disestablishments in Singapore Outram, Singapore