| The
work of the convicts in Castiadas
According to the testimonies of the agronomist Cusman,
the best way to treat the danger of malaria was work, above all
that carried out outside in the open air, in contact with the
fields and forests.
The prisoner who worked in the penal colony at Castiadas, had
one simple rule to keep: to cultivate the land well, reintegrating
the fertile substances.
After the completion of the building, various detachments were
constructed, composed of living quarters, comparable to small
rural settlements, each of which was able to take care of itself.
On the different detachments, the cultivation of fields with cereals,
beans, vines, vegetables and fruit trees started.
At the same time, the penal colony commenced the breeding of
sheep, goats and horses.
In 1903 dairy cow farming was also introduced and, given the sizeable
quantities of milk produced, after several years a cheese factory
was built, which transformed the milk into fine-quality cheeses
and butter.
A few years later, in 1908, a government commission decided to
reform the farming business of the colony, beginning genetic selection
of the animals, particularly with regard to cattle breeds: numerous
crosses between the small Sardinian cows and modicana bulls were
made.
Other successes, even economic, were obtained by exploiting the
vegetation. From 1900 in Castiadas, the prisoners, who worked
under the guidance of skilled state workers, determined to turn
the thick undergrowth into charcoal. At the outset, production
was around 1600 square litres and in following years reached 2700
square litres.
The carpentry, year after year, produced enough to meet not only
the internal needs of the colony but alsofor the penal houses
throughout Italy who practised farming as well as making oars
for the boat trips used in the seaside penal colonies.
The wake-up call for inmates varied from 6:00 in the morning in
December-January to 4.30 in July-August. Work in both the fields
and in the workshops stopped from 12 –1 for lunch and then
continued until 5 p.m.
At 6.30 in the evening the warders made the count and closed the
dormitories, with absolute silence to be observed, from 7 p.m.
in winter and 9 p.m. in summer.
Whoever worked in the fields was considered among the lucky ones.
In fact, besides being able to work outside, he drew a salary,
the highest being for the head grafters and pruners, 1.30 lire
a day, the lowest for the grape-gatherers and muck-spreaders,
0.65 lire.
Several groups of prisoners who worked in contaminated areas,
stayed in wooden houses 5m long and 2.5m wide. Each of these houses
accommodated 10 convicts and was fitted with thick wire fences
to keep out mosquitoes.
The prisoners wore a red jacket, a blue and white striped hood
and, for work, fingerless gloves.
The hood was similar to those worn by the Brothers of Mercy, though
instead of two holes for the eyes they sewed a fine mesh, of not
much more than 10cm2. The guards wore a gloves and a hood too,
however with white cloth, to distinguish themselves from the convicts.
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