I want to know the answer to the following question:
What were the prisoners on Norfolk Island spared from on the the mainland?
All the background I'm provided with is that "The convicts detained have long been assumed to be a hardcore of recidivists, or 'doubly-convicted capital respites' – that is, men transported to Australia who committed fresh colonial crimes for which they were sentenced to death, and were spared the gallows on condition of life at Norfolk Island.". Is that enough to answer the question?
Answer: yes