NAPIER GAOL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 790, 13 April 1910, Page 5

NAPIER GAOL.

IS IT TO BE CLOSED? PROPOSAL ADVERSELY CRITICISED. IBy Telesrarh.—Special Oorreiuondent.l Napier,' April 12. News has been received that the Minister for. Justice has decided to recommend •to Cabinet that Napier Prison be closed. If, this is correct it would appear that Auckland and Wellington will be the chief places in the North Island where prisoners, are to be concentrated. This arrangement, if carried into effect, will bo extremely awkward when Napier, Gisborne, and other sittings of the Supreme Court are being held. It will also probably mean that when an: accused person: has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term exceeding, say, a fortnight, ho will have to be taken to Wellington accompanied by a constable whose services will be lost for a couple-of days. It'is supposed'that this move- is in connection with the prison, reform scheme, and designed to achieve advantages of centralisjitioti. Efforts arc being made locally with a viow to retaining the gaol in Napier. The "Daily Telegraph" entertains grave doubts as to the wisdom of, the proposed change. "The Napier Gaol," tho paper says, "serves as a place of incarceration for prisoners coming from as far north ai Gisborne and south from Daimcvirke ut least, if not from Woodville. Doubtless, it is good policy not to imprison long-sontcnco criminals in provincial gaols, but with short-sen-tonco men the case is different. Moreover, it is absolutely necessary to maintain a police gaol here unless every convicted person, if only to serve a few days or weeks, is to Ire conveyed to and from Wellington at the public cost. Prom tho aesthetic point of view it would bo good to have no gaol in Hawko's Bay. From that and.the moral aspect, it would be good to have no prisons in New Zealand. Seeing, however, that gaols, like policemen and battleships, have to bo regarded as necessary factors in all forms of civilisation, it is open to question whether anything worthy of consideration is to be gained by keeping all prisoners in the four centres. For long-sentenco men that may be right enough, but for those condemned to terms ranging from ono to 21 months it seems that provincial gaols arc required."