OUR PRISON POPULATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1050, 13 February 1911, Page 4

OUR PRISON POPULATION.

ADDRESS BY MR. E. ARNOLD, J.P.

At the'.meeting,of,the Wellington Men's Brotherhood, in the Druids' Hall, yesterday afternoon, the Rev: E. 0. Blamires presiding,', the. speaker was Mr. E. Arnold,- J.P., who. delivered an interesting address based on his personal experiences as a. visiting justice "to tho local gaols and asylums, over a tferiod of thirteen years. . During; the course of his remarks, Mr. Arnold observed that a certain prison doctor, who had examined some 3000 consecutive prisoners as thev were admitted,' had declared that 37 per cent, of them were simply mental defectives.; There was. no doubt, he said, that the distribution of , tobacco among prisoners hard resulted in: better order being maintained. -.Mr. Arnold declared that personal kindness. was. an immense factor in the reclaiming of men who had drifted into evil ways. He-remembered tho case of. a man who had served sixteen years in prison, and who had onco remarked-that he, had nevor had a kind word spoken to him. He (Mr. Arnold) had assisted that man to obtain employment after his release, and although a period of .seven years had since elapsed, he had never swerved from the path of honesty. Another man -who had reformed after a few years had shown his gratitude , in'a practical way by donating is to.the Prisoners' Aid Society. Miss Lulu-Arnold Rfterwards recited, .with excellent effect, "The Convict's Honour."