MENDING MEN

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2154, 21 May 1914, Page 5

MENDING MEN

HOPEFUL ASPECTS, OF THE prison;, : Cw,plaints were recently . vent ilate/1 : that a number bf "habitual 11 criminals released on license; had shown themselves unworthy of tho privilege, and. ■■ had returned to a life of crime, and it ■ was. suggested that the Prisons Board in some such 'Cases had slio'vn lindne. leniency, and had sot men free who 1 were not fit to be ,afc large; There is, lioivevcr, another wdo to. tlm question, . and it was sMfcd ill conversation with a, Do>ii.NJo.S" reporter yesterday hy « gentleman who lias had a lo'n.g x»;pe!''ieuco of prisaiis lii tlij.a count ry flitd enjoys exceptional opportunities of inaliin'g himself acquainted with the results attained under the systMn' which is in Vogue id New Zealand. Ho expressed the opinion that I he poliey of releasing criminals who had qoiio 'soiiietlrinji hy tlibji - gcio'd contlucfc ■white in detention fo cam that- privilege had upon the. whole bpen. thorotftjily well justified i'n practice. Now and. the.n .tlio r-xperimont might turn out .'(!.■ failure, and tho released jneis might show themselves undescrvincj of freedom, but these cases were always Suwd of.' Less was heard of the rases in which released criminals nuidc. it thorough reformation and 'prospered ill the paihs of honesty, Such cases were, however, by no means unknown. There sM ex-enmr,m!s who hartf tekoil to steady «inp.l<Vynieirt,. ai.)'4 have, made a brave oiTftrt to rehabilitate themselves, Rome oi tVm have siifcit,. money ni'itl can show exrellen l ; reports from 'heir ciivployiji's and from . tiie police, earned, by iYi.togfi.ty and industry, whidi are-ill r tiie view of theif foimer association;-:. Apart fro.ni tl!9 failures aiid ftttm those who mako ail exceptionuily good recovery of their social skiMling., flier® is a much. ; larger class.of ox-criiiiiuals abv.iii wlioii; iin v-cry ])roiioiinced. renoris are iiladr, ■one way ®' the other, and. it. is rciisenabli: to asstfine that at leas! a fair firo- : portion <>f' tho inenibers o! this ciass are doing wcil, . One danger from which released critni--mils' have to bis protected is that of being preyed 11.p0.i1 by the m»n with : 'whttiii wore" cniercd tho path of refiirmanen. H is not ail .uncommon thing for :.a reformed 'prisoner to j)e 'pestejed 'hy -soilie 'foKlil.cj? Sponges ivpoii, iiiiil 'ior :it share of what -lie is rauiing bv honest toil, 'atid' sometinie.s is mean'enough to tempt him to i:«u.uin. to a lite of crime. ''■OiUoccasions :ths'' , i:idi® ;: lia:yb^ ,to cqine_ tn t!se < n?sk.f.t\ic;> of men v,'hn were Imrng vic:t;iiiised in this. v;ay hy taking llic seiiipU'i's into custody.

Tii'.' ; ; r fft!otfel atovo i.s no •pessimist in ;tho possibility <tf -roclainnng and rcfonn.in;* ft proportion oven of those who a'.v<>' (WtPOTOcd to ho hardened enminah. '^oif. - iTi<Sk*S n.ien, he rpmarl;od v vcere ri»vpr ;enoiwit ■to he''Ai'sil; , i' a;l)ii) -tQ'-ea'i;n. ! nft honest livelihood, . ami ali-; worth while' gdivg to a firo.tv deal of uvmKlo to' Iniiu f.h<" fact lio'iivo to • 1 hc'in. '• It' siili remained ■it problem, lie :uk:.'d, to d.of ''M!® port, of .instrtntioii. whirl: .. vindd lir> neither n". roforoiiitcry:jioit .i'fi Viuiitstrinl soli on!, hut *omothaiit.h:'t«*!!ui the t.vo, ar, vftstitntiffii »|)i'ciaiiy Jevoled tt? tlm l'cclitnintiou of youths• and• yo'\n<i. .men W-lio hud gdiie ivicili:, hut iwl. i.opt'lo-slv vro/ig. ■ '«.