The British colonialists continued to use the Island as a prison for soldiers being deported (deportation) or sentenced to banishment. Criminals from the Cape that were considered particularly dangerous and political prisoners from the frontier wars during the colonisation period was also imprisoned on the island. The prison was closed in 1846 and the old prison buildings were used for the General Infirmary. During this period the Island continued to be used for a small number of political prisoners from the frontier wars and after 1866 for convicts sentenced to hard labour. These convicts did manual work for the hospital.
