GAOL INMATES FEWER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1856, 16 September 1913, Page 6

GAOL INMATES FEWER.

CHIEF JUSTICE ON THE CAUSE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Naplor, September 15. Li an address to tho Grand Jury in the Supremo Court the Chiof Justice (Sir Robert Stout) referred to tho fact that relatively in proportion to population orimo had been decreasing for years. Even the prison population had 'decreased, though during tho last thirty years new offences had been created, and tvo have established a new system of dealing with offenders—tho indeterminate sentence. ' "I thought," he said, "that that would liavo partly increased tho prison population, and no doubt at has 111creasod it —somewhat at all ovonts, in tho first years of its adoption. Nevertheless the number of prisoners has proportionately decreased. Reference to statistics will brill" this out very clearly. Oil December 31, ,1881, tl o number of persons.in pnson per 10,000 of population was 13. /7: in ISB6, 10.60, 8 12: 1896, 7.70; 1901. 9.05; 1906, 9 80; 1911, 8.51. The Habitual Criminals Act was passed in 1906. Not' only has the prison population decreasedirclativolv to population, but. serious crime has absolutely decreased. This oa.ll no tested bv sentences given. In 1906,. 1150 sentences exceeding throo months: 1907, 1)29: 1908. 1085; 1909, US? MO, 895; 1911. 783; 1912 652. •Vn'otlier verv satisfactory feature of tho criminal statistics is that, taking person,l over 15 years of ago born 111 New Zealand, wo v-'ill find that in 1011 they amount to 47 per cent,, of tho population, but only 36 of the prisoners over 15 years of ago were New Zoah.ndborii. Those faots speak well for Now Zealand youths, and I think ovcry unbiased person will say t'hey also bear testimony to the efficient moral training of the youths. To our system of ed*icnliou muoh is dMo."