TREATMENT OF CRIME

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 891, 10 August 1910, Page 4

TREATMENT OF CRIME

{■■■•'•■■ ■••■'.-.:■. .■• •' : ■ tm: FINDLAY ON PRISON REFORM. "•rl;.:v:;:' ; .v ■'•■"."'.-1- '■'-..' ' , -.- '. . ®;;;;.; financial,debate.; w: hotel and restaurant em- ; :( : j?:.;;«:'::: ; ;: ; : ployees.■■■.'■-'■- ;- ;: -;■ js, 'proposed legislation. ■ ; ■ ,The only business in the Legislative jpiGouncil. yesterday -was the moving of l\ the'second.reading of the. Crimes f>;.: Amendment* Bill by...Dr. Findlay hva [repeech- .which lasted- over two" hours, fv'l'ne" speech, was for the. most: part an ''explanation'of Dr. Findlay's scheme of y prison: reform; , Tho Financial Debate ; -.was\oontinuod in the Houso without ■■excitement ti11.10.40 p.m., when it was -;; fdjourned^iintil'to-day/ . .. , : -. ■'':"■ It^/rHE^COUNCIL.,-:'-- , "' ,, '' & reform. J.V.: l\-'/.'fi'-:\.': : .-'. - - : — ■ . '. - ... .V : ; ?..£•■■■',#.; THE CRIMES/BBILL. •.•-■-■ >; ■;,;:;. AVheh the .Council, met yesterday afternoon 1 V '■■ ■ .'■■■ '•'•.;. ' ■ ■ : t;:The,Hon. Dr.'FINDLAY, '•<in. moving i.ithe".' second leading "of., the Crimes '/■Amendment. Bill, whichis to form the & : basia ';pf the "new. .''reformative ' prison h .treatment, said that, he "was" not, a, soffc- [■' "hearted opponent of .punishment where. ;-j;it.:".was'iiecessary".'- In.certain rare cases J ;.they iniust :uso tho lash, and in other Y; casesj;ljfe-long : incarceration ■-, might' be V' Becessary. , But punishment .which '";, deadened and 'degraded tho criminal f, pnly hardened his .criminal propensities '■■ahdibrought him back, to ..prison.. .The/ •.paramount consideration in -his echemo ;-.was the protection of society", and there v.would.vbe no reduction or L removalVof p.;sentences; which ',would affect this 6bft| ject.'--;-It.was estimated that, co'st f'j! of, the' criminal classes in Amorica was ■41.120 "millions, a year.::-:ln..England also : .i !-the cost :•. was' enormous, whilo' in.'. New v!;Zealaiid there.were something'like 1000 if persons' ill "our gaols , all''the year, and '■!> several thousands went into -our/gaols |: : every'. v year'as .convicted- persons'.;; There' l.iwasi-itherefore, even..moro"than a:huj;,.mana•;;6bject,.for■■try,lilg/ to. reduce revrcidivism j/in'' . New Zealand. ' .The - : proi;'.portion of recidivists r in." New Zealand ,''-was;63. per. cent., -as against 54 or 55 (/.'per cent. in.England; and CO per cent.-pr.in-.tho 'United: States.- Altogether too", p large a:'proportion of-criminals .'in-pur |;gaolswere-'Ne'w Zealand born; over 15, S: ; ;'yeairß of age. ' :> "'■'■':■:. : -)' "■■. ,'■■■■''

f (Study; of Criminal 'Mind. : /' ''■] •''' i>: ■■•'The new system .was : . based on "the : .r.'etudy,,of l the. criminal mind. They had ;;to find w^.treatmeijf'of ihe criminal :,; .would'protc'ot sbcietyuand. at the same. 'V.time effect ..reformation: -For 30 years 'vtheinewimethod, had been /tried with' Elmira", in the iisUnitedStates. ;l Out of 20,000 prisoners: •i.'.who.had . : gono througli Blmira only -1 E':per ; 'cent^ : )iad goneiback^to.prison. \ He ■"; ?™ I %,4f* ,na ?i ■%!■© wero hopeless crim-j-finals just (as\there wero hopeless : luria•'..•There :were : somo' men in our ■^prisonsitp/daj. whom H it' would be : posi- ?;': * I,re ..:.n™uiess" to "release.. It was neces- ::.: sary.'.toyclassify' , prisoners . before any ;.:'.;progress-could bo,: inado'with.their re;There '■ had 1 been no : classifi-' pcatipni;wor%';:tho namo''in: this', couriK** r yj' i; a n i ;,: tiiere was not enough of it fesffW^^i' he ' and;:the' Government: had i2:;tneir, way , there would be a groat; deal f./.more•;of;it in future'. ,v '■; ..' . Classification:, !;.;■: V?. :

Eiidlay outlined';-his scheme of fc;:;classification:as follows:— ■■■■ L -i.;>-:-.■■ Wi> ■ p ™^ S3 '? n al criminals, including K-; i habitual;- : criminals and ■■• those . who |;jmight;.!be / called' incorrigible. ■ (2) offenders, ■ who were ft not; beginners' in crime,, but were not Iyso;given; up-to; to' leave little |. : -:hope' for,,their recovery. ■■ r (3). Sexual fc. perverts.. .: (4)-Criminal lunatics.. (5) gylncipient-. and .pseudo-criminals who p,' : had: given bad indications, i ;(6) Incorf l;.ngible drunkards. , . ...:;■.• proposed to the. pri-fc.-sons; as follows:—' ''.-:.•!:.:'; ' V,:: ; v; ' f£ : ;:: -establishment where kept:- hardened criminals : (■/.iwhoihad: shown -themselves most : comsftft'fr? 1, to acareer of crime. for the sexual perverts. 1..! (3) Separate reformatories for men and including ; .the ■ reformatory r.iarms, camps,:'.and some other classes feof; ■ ~- ;(4) V-lleformateries p.. for ] .'.uicorngiblo. and corrig|blo drunkp.:'ards.,.: These- are- to be increased. ■'.

fi-In.the penal establishments, said Dr if. those .would- be -detained' who p.■;■ 'hadßenown;-,themselves'.- less, capable of : preformation. ■.' They' would attempt h:; v .however,, with all tho patience and ■. .skill.possible, -te/ effect; reformation },:• even;, in .these, penal establishments., f^y.The word would bo written fewest possible number of' f;,:. cells'rn the'prison' There j.-;;.would,.be no shot;.drill,- tread-mill, or p oakum', picking.. .The prisoner's task jP would be one.that was useful, and not fV° ne .'that/would degrade still, further s ;'even ihe worst prisoners. Solitary s> confinement should 'be reduced to a Kv.jnmimum; It had been too much tried [■■:in .New' Zealand. ,Iα some cases he i :-would pay' prisoners.: a small sum in t: wages, for good behaviour and improve-t'.:"ment.-V.-,-.-.-'..- ..■'.-■■ ■/.;■'.' Ji . ■. v .-■.-,■. '■'■./;■ . -.-. . tt Notva;Feather-Bed Systom. iV-,,;.They'must hasten : on an inf.;:,:Btitiition" which" could properly be called tV-.a.criminal'lunatic asylum.'. In the I: j.formatories' — including: farms and j. camps—would be , treated young .and V.' corrigible offenders of both sexes. Dr. f; ,-Eindlay: denied strongly that .this sys : [-: '.tern would be equivalent to putting a j;.'- premium "upon .crime., ;' At the refori: matories at .Tokanui ,and Invercargill |;r.i there would be .as much severity, disi cipluie, and exacting work'.as was con- !■;, :Bisteut with humano treatment. It not a feather-bed/ system, j... .In New-South Wales; as the. result of ■< : . these methods, recidivism had been refrom a very high degree to f: ; wmethmg like 30 per cent. , \'■': Ploslng and Conversion of Oaols.

;-;VjV In'.outlining what had been done " Ith; regard to prison reform, ;;Dr. Findlay said that there were for'.meriy nine gaols, of which' two had £■■. 'been closed—thoso at Hokitika and !■:; 'AVanganui. He proposed .to .close in i'r.:good.time,.more.. ; of these gaols. At (- -present they. .were.largely, of tho same !•:•'; type.. They : were.:built after the English t ■;:system, which* prevailed '.. before ..1870, j-.. ■■ and .in';theni the . Department, was com-' • ■ polled; j very largely, , to carry : on its ■f administration on those lines.' He proj .posed as'. ; BOon as. possible' to close, the j : Napier.and Dunedin gaols. The Napier {■ gaol was an exceedingly old.:onu, and ( .. would have'to be replaced in .any enso. I:.' It occupied-one'of .the best and most I picturesque sites in the /town; which !' could be very much more fitly used for J .1 some, other purpose. The Dunedin I. gaol was more modern;-but v it'was badly !. ventilaUid, and in. 'his judgment un- |: necessary. The Invercargill gaol had |.'. already proceeded • far on, up-to-date I'i'Jines, and- when,' it was- extended to L.-- accommodate the primners, the DeparlX , ment would close the Lyttelton gaol, -That institution was at least 50 years ■V- ]Dla, and it was out.of date in many

respects and wholly unsuited to modern prison methods. 'At Invercargill thero would ultimately ibe .accommodation, probably, for at least all the incorrigible prisoners of the South Island. Tho New Plymouth gaol, which was at present a gaol for habitual offenders, would be made into a'gaol for sexual perverts and criminal lunatics. It would servo that purposo without any serious alteration. .The Wellington gaol would probably be used as a central gaol for women, not necessarily for the women who obtained short sentences, but "women of the'habitual criminal class who required longer reformatory treatment. There would thus be four gaols instead of nine, and in addition to them thero would be the reformatory farm at Tokanui, and the tree-planting stations, which would probably bo extended in their operations. The result would bo to reduce the cost to tho State, as it was in the smaller gaols that the cost ran up.' . ■ : - ■ Other Reforms. Dr. Findlay detailed the. improved methods, now- followed: in the Invercar,giil gaol, and also' referred to improvements; generally made in lighting arid ventilation. • The ventilation "of tho Wellington prison was now nearly perfect. The huts at the tree-planting camps had been altered to provide a separate cell for each prisoner, and a commoii|room had also been provided. The prison diet was now,"the same for every meal of the day and every day ;of tho year. Dyspeptic and other troubles, might bo avoided by a change of diet which yet would not mean indulgence. In future remissions of sentence would not, be made unless.they were earned' by r good conduct. At the Tokanui farm he hoped to have accommodation at-first f0r;200.'.-prisoners, and ultimately for between" 400 : "and 500. ■ A systematic, training .would tjiero be given in all: branches of ;agrioulturali and pastoral work, and he hoped that young men coming *from '"■there when' the. scheme was. in full swing would bo wil-) lingly and gladly employed, by farmers' I .throughput New Zealand. Thero would also be asystem of unobtrusive supervision to. see that every man who left one of thoso institutions would Jiavo a place -to go to. Women prisoners would be divided into two classes, habitual and _:corrigible.', In 00.out of 100-cases, habitual women offenders .wer6 r hbpeless. Following the Sherborne' system of Massachusetts corrigible... women would bo. trained scientifically'in tho domestic arts, /pi-obahly in ■-■Wellington. The .'treatment-..0f drunkards would be on tho linos already followed. Dr. Findlay went on to explain in detail the' provisions of tho Bill, the main purpose of.Which'wasjhe said, to introduce the •principle of the indeterminate iefitenco in- regard, not. only/to habitual";offenders',: : which was";tho law.to-day, but in ,regard to "young and first offenders. •The Appeal Board. , .■■ ■" ■ ' . If- it was. that '■' too Vmuch power ..would ■ be ■ given to magistrates, all cases would: be reviewed, by .tho Appca]: Board,- which evorv ■ three months would consider'applications:' for release; ■ Probably tlie.;,:: Chief' Justice would bo president of the' board, and Dr. Hay,.,lnspector-General of, Mental Hospitals, one. of tli'e members. ~' It would ;be the mosfrexpert. and -reliable board that could bo constituted in New Zealand. '"■ "'-■■ . .. ,- . .

'Dr./ Findlay concluded his :speech -at 4:40 : 'p.m., and the" Ckiuncil then, .'adjourned/until to-day. ~..■ :-■"";■■ •"/