PRISONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1248, 6 October 1911, Page 8

PRISONS.

NEW SYSTEM MERELY BEGUN. ANNUAL REPORT. In liis report ou the prisons of tho Dominion for the year ended March .'II, 1011, Mr. I'. AVuliU'grave, Under-Secre-tary for Justice, states that Ihero was an increase of 172 in the total receptions in the various gaols, as compared with the previous year, every prisoner being counted once every time lie was received, whether al'teiimitenee, for trial, on remand, on transfer, or in transitu. The. actual number received after sentence was 4300. as against I.IGO in the preceding year. The actual number of prisoners in gaol on January 1, 1010, was 910, while the number in prison on January 1. 1911, was SS2, a. decrease of G7. It should be pointed out, however, that a number of persons are now sent to inebriate institutions or reformatory homes who previously, were sent to gao.l. The total 'number of distinct convicted prisoners received during the year shows an increase of S3. The proportion according to population shows a slight de-' crease. There has been no movement in the criminal population for the last year or two calling for comment., but it is clear that crimiTis not increasing. The Reform Scheme. Mr. TValdegrave also states that the scheme of prison reform initiated by Kir John Findlay has not yet progressed as rapidly as some ardent enthusiasts would dosire. "Progress in this direction must nocessarily ho a slow process, owing to 1 the enormous difficulties involved in 'substituting modern, well-equipped penological institutions for obsolete gacls. The gaol at Dunedin, for instance, is absolutely useless for any purpose other than the -detention of prisoners in confinement. The gaol at Napier is little better, and the Lyttelton Gael affords new facilities for any kind of classification or reformative treatment, though improvements in this direction are in contemplation. Tlieso are the worst instances, but similar difficulties confront us in other gaols. At Itivercargill the circumstance* are- more favourable, and good work is being done there, with the tree-plant-ing camp at Waipa as a camp for first offenders, and the reformatory farm at Tokanui in working order, provision can be made for a number of prisoners who at present, must be kept in town gaols however unsuitable the conditions may bo. In three gaols mentioned above.:— Dunedin, Kapiei, and Lyttelton—the number of prisoners confined on October 30 was 228. It must be obvious tiiat this large number cannot Ik? provided for elsewhere at once. There-fore, I venture to suggest -to the critics of the prison administration that they should not expect a system that has been in force for so many years to bo completely revolutionised in a short twclvo months. The Department is doing its best to grapple with the task it has undertaken, but it-requires some lime beioro the results become apparent. I have visited each gaol in the Dominion at least once during the year."

Tree-Planting Camp. Dr. Hay (inspector of Prisons) and the Rev. J. L. A. Knyll (Visiting; Adviser) state in a joint report that evidently their offences wero the result of drink, and wero but slightly related to the sober state oi their minds. Working in healthy and invigorating *urroundings, these men have dono good work, behaved well, and profited considerably by the nature of their imprisonment. It only shows that in selecting men for the camps each case has to be considered individually, and no general rule applicablo to all cases can bo laid down, in the camps only a minor proportion have served previous sentences, and wo have made it a rule not to semi men who havo been troe-pUuiting during a previous sentence. At each of the treeplanting camps a large common room has been built. The prisoners take their moals in theso rooms, and assemble', under' supervision, between the hours of returning from tho works and the night lock-up. This system gives greater secuiv 1 ity to the camps, and docs awuy with the necessity of having stoves in the huts. At Waiotapu and Hanmer all the huts have been converted and several new ones built. This gives every prisoner a separ-1 ate hut or cell to himself. Waipa will soon be in tho same position, as the work of conversion and building is nearly finished. The tree-planting has been carried out to . tho satisfaction of tho Forestry Department. Prisoners have been engaged on works for tho Defence Department at Fort Cautley, Point Halswcll.and Toiaroa Heads. Tho usual gaol industries havo been carried on as in former years. . . . Some of, the offioers are displaying enthusiasm in tho .plan of reorganisation, and havo asked us to assist them in the study of penology in its scientific aspect. Later in tho year, wo hope to bo able to arrange this matter upon a systematic basis. The Crimes Amendment Act, 11)10, came into force on January 1, 1911, and the newly-elected Prisons Boards established thereunder held its first meeting during this month. Statistics. Thera were 8 escapes during the year, as against 7 in 1909—viz., 1 at Palmerston North Police Gaol, 2 at Waipa, 4 at Invercargill, and 1 from the train while being escorted from Timaru to Lytleltou. All tho escapees were recaptured. Tho total expenditure of tho various prisons was .£45,41.7. Out of a total of 5112 males and 511 females received during the year, 33 males were of superior education, 5111 males and 510 females wero able to read and write, 57 males and 3 females could read only, while 211 males and 27 females could neither read nor write. At the Reformatory Prison at New Plymouth, where the habitual criminals aro detained, thero wero 15 males and 4 females in custody at the beginning of the year. During the year 21 males and 1 female wero received, and 10 males and 3 females discharged leaving 2G males and 2 females in custody there at tho close of the year.