HABITUAL CRIMINALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 114, 6 February 1908, Page 7

HABITUAL CRIMINALS.

A TEMPORARY INSTITUTION. SMALL NUMBER OP SENTENCES. 3. When the Habitual Criminal knd Offenn tiers' Act was passed, there seemed to be a s probability that an institution ior, persons P so convicted would be established at' Quail f Island, in Lyttelton Harbour. ' So far, how,f ever, during the year's operation of the Act, i s tho number, of. adjudged habitual criniinals has been small—not above eight for the whole Dominion--aud temporary, accommodation is io be provided for them at New Plymouth. A wing .of the New Plymouth Gaol' has been , prepared, and it will bo inspected by tho Minister for Justice (the Hon. J. M'GoWan) and Lieutenant Hume (Inspector of Prisons) on Monday next. At present the persons to be lodged there are serving sentences in various gaols' in the Dominion. Under ' the Act there will be a consultative committee to havo charge of this division, consistj ing of the local stipendiary ; magistrate, the gaoler, and visiting justices. Petitions for ■P release coming from tho prisoners will be '■ forwarded by the conimittee to the Supreme i. Court Judge who tried the case, and on ren commendation beiiig made, release can be granted. . , .' ; ;lt is premature yet ,to say whether tho Act during the brief period of its operation i- and tho- sentences' promptly inflicted have 8 acted as ai deterrent* but the small'number 6 sentenced points in the direction. A detec- 1 , tive recently said that the/legislation had un- '• doubtedly had this effect: that criminals had no partiality whatever for indeterminate sentences. . At all events it seems that the authorities evidently consider there is insullicient reason yet to provide' special accomt modation for the prisoners.