DOMINION PRISONS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2205, 18 July 1914, Page 7

DOMINION PRISONS

'-■■■ ''-:''■ ' ,: ■ ,~~. —-*———■%-..'■. '..■' I THE ANNUAL REPORT - {9 DEVELOPMENT OFPRISqN FARM?. ; : . The annnal report upon the prisons '; of the Dominion was presented to. Par- ' ' "liament yesterday. Tho' Under-Secro- . tary of Justice, Mr. 0. B. Jordan, ' \..: states that there was. an increase in tho .; number of prisoners received during tbo •). : ' year, but this was due to abnormal coni . ditions prevailing during a portion of .'■ tho year, ;and' not to a' general inoreaise ;: .of crime. The daily average throughout : : '-}. : the year shows a decrease on 'that"of ;■:■: .-"1912. The expenditure showe an in- ■' creaseiover last year, but this is principally due to developmental work at ' ■:-.; \, luvercargill, Waikeria, and Addmgton, ',■;'."■ [ increase of staff in cx>nneotion.therewith; ; purchase of necessary plant, and ex\j- .;■■ pense of transfer of Trmsoners to these I prisons. The credits received, however* ',"■. - ehow a considerable increase:-£7382, as ;'.- against £5431 last year... v. . ■; . ; Profitable Employment.'; *. to the question of the profitable employment and paymentof prisoners, the report says that'afc.'lnver- ; cargill a industry has been established, and blocks are be'ing made;for public buildings and for ~; sale to the pablio for private dwellings. Vegetable , gardening is being carried on,. and the produce is sold to the* public '■ • A large reclamation -scheme is' being ..■...' .carried put for, the Borough Council by • i prisoners under the' super) ision of the gaoler, who has been practically respoii- -■■:'■ -y Bible for ; the whole work! "The work hae included bridg!}' building, dredging, and the-various works incidental to such.an . undertaking'.' The total area reclaimed , sis about 2003 acres. Tho return- to the ; Department for the prisoners' labour .;■■' wili ; be"the acquirement of an area.of 650 acres of first-clase farm land, which, ■ it is stated'by .those in a position to ; , judge, will he worth at least' £20 an ; acre,;and this land'.wil} be utilised as aprison farm for tho training of youthful offenders—surely,a profitable^work, both '-, to the State and to the individual, prieoners engaged in the work. ,\ ." \ <■>;:.■ '. : :■'.'',.'. : Prison Farms. \ '■'■o : .'\.-- :.. At Waikeria, where the-Department . :.-; has ■some ■ 1500 acres; of land, the .first .;.■;.- prison : farm in New Zealand has" been established, and,, although'only :a short ■ - stime has elapsed, some 300 acree ,havo .:'■'.'■'■ been cleared- and brought into cultivav " tion. Concrete-block making has .also 1 been started there, and the prison and ■' farm buildings will bebuilt by prison ■'.;•■ labour/wtih, HookV made on the spot;' ':.'. /..there being a large quantity/of splendid /■material available in the river bounding .;. the property.l Blocks will also be sup-' ■•plied for the erection bfihe main build- ,. ings of :thellental.Hospital,'which will ;:■ ■ ■■ bflocatednot very far-away;.;;: ■ : ,;,;' ' ■ :■ .- The .acquirement of.'an'i area V.of farm .. land in' Canterbury, on which an up-to-date prison* can' be built to replace -the ■ unsuitable building.at 'Lyttelton, will /'''■ .afford.^'further,;opportunity for,.the ex- ' ; tmi6n : :.of Athe. policy .'decided .'upon, of ; providing for.the :employment in'agricultural pursuits of: prisoners, who are mostly derived from, the unskilled! class j and tne training of youthful offeridersitt, an occupation which will erieble them to obtain suitable employment on their re- -. ■' :leaso. •'' '■■• : '•'''■■;':':>■:■ ■'.■■ v' : : : v.' : v'' ' ■' '■■"-'. i .The prisoners at. the. tree-planting '"•'■, oamps are doing jvork w'hich-win ulti- '■■■': mately be of great^valu<rt67the* comj .-■ '■ munity.--': , -f.-•.'•■■ 'i.^vi'-^i-^^^^v.r.v-; ';; .'There is, however, a,la>ge proportion 1 ! ■ of prisoners—what may be callejl; the ; .floating..prison population', persons who. 'are continually !m...and put-of,, prison^on -''. short-sentences,' itidny- ofy'them'derelicts. —for.whom it will always be difficult : to find; profitable employment.;. In .time, *•>'. however,, something may be done evou ■ : for these. . ■.- ■ /"-':': ■■■>'. ' ■■■.. ;It is from the prison farms that: the ■V':. best results may be expected,.and, properly directed and carried on, these Iμstitutions will-.without-doubt in; time' become .more, l than, self-supporting and relieve the community of a, largo por- , tion of' the, cost of ; maintenance of prisoners, who, like the poor; will, I am l ; , afraid, be always.withes.;- : ' : ;:/ :."■•./.; ['/■>■: prison Population.; : '/ report, of the Inspector of Pris- ■;' oils' (Mr.- C; v E. Matthews) states that /;'.' in spite:of theJndustTial troubles that disturbed .the Dominion towards .tHo : end.of the year,';the daily average of. prisoners confined in our: goals'.was ,be- ■"'. iow'that for ,1912. ..V The Departmental . figures prove, however,: that, the major- *'■•:"'. ity of the commitals took place too late ■•';:.- in the year to materially affect the avor- ""'. ■ !»ro for the whole period. . Theiollow- ' ingL table shows.at five-yearly, intervals,and also for. the past three years, the :. riumber of persons; in prison per 10,000 '.". ; . ■ of the general population:- 1 -:-...,;. '■'.'■;■ '■' '•" '•:.■"•■■ ''i "'■''_'"■ '.I *"■■' •'■■■ ' '.S'O ■ '■ ' S rt o'Ji)-. : j.i .5 :-.- t '■■ ■..■'■''•SOS- J - : 'Ogg-^' ■•/•■• ; ''-'"1881' ......... 500,910 . .690 , .13.77 .'1886........'.. 689,386 - 625. / 10.60 ■'"- 1891 .;:...... 634,058 8.42 1896 ;... 714,162 V . 650 vv"; 7.70 •"-■ 3901 787,656 ' 713 - ; 9.05 ■ : 1906 903,726 : ' 891" - 9.80 v 1911 ......... r,020,J0G 873 8.51 1912 .........1,052,627 866 ' '8.22 ;. 1913, j.....:. 1,084,662. 919 ' s 8.47 Durfnp;' the year '141 prisoners were sentenced to one year's hard labour and upwards; 494 to terms of from three :■ months' hard labourto underbne year, ond 76 criminals were sent into reformative detention; a'total'number of prisoners who received sentences of ' .. :three months an'd over of 711. .The detailed figures indicate that a decrease in the number of serious crimes which • was remarked upon in last year's report still continues, but : an increase iii the . ■ number of 'minor offences, r also 'continues. ■'•.". •"'.. . .. :■'. It_ is hoped in tho immediate future •... to give a larger number of prisoners the ■:■. benefit of employment at tree-planting '. by afrangirifi transfers from the town' , '.'•" prisons to Kaingaroa, whore there is - sufficient hut accommodation for some :. additional men, As the Waipa camp! is set apart for.first offenders, the daily '. average cannot be increased in the '< -..':'• Bamo way. ■ ';'.. '■.'■• , ; . ■ ; ';• The daily average.number of prisoners on the sick-list was slightly higher "■'-. for 1913 (15.47) than for 1912 (14.05), ; but this is partly accounted for by the '■•■'■ fnct that a number of the prisoners were ill on admission, and had therefore to ' be treated in tho public or prison hoa- '. pitals. Tliero appears, the Inspector .: states, to.have been no sickness arising from preVentiblo coubcs within tho ppis- ' j ona themselves. '■.■'■.■'•'.■ ' Ten persons died in prison during 1913, as compared' with 15 in 1912—1 at Auckland/ 1 at Now Plymouth, 2 at ;.-■' Wellington, 1 at Aldington; 3 at Lyt- . telton. lat Duncdin,' and lat Inver- ■ ■'.';; cargill. . ' ■'■■■'. ..■'■■■:■■'■.,. • ;■ ,There were 10 escapes during, tho ..'-.: year, exactly the same number as in from Kaingaroa, 1 from TVaf- : pa, 3 from Wellington, 1 from Auck- . land, and 1 from Opotiki Police Gaol. First Offenders' Probation. It is shown that 136 persons '\yere placed on probation, as agajnsfc 79 in •1912. Of these, 22 have so , far satis- .':. ■-, factorily carried out the'terms of.their * licenses' and be«n discharged, 4 have betin rearrestadj 4 absconded, and 106 .''.'■ irtill remain 'Under the supervision of the probation officers. .-,•'•..■' ; The amounts ordered to be paid by : , the various Coflrts t&wards the' costs of wosectition amotint to £495 13s. lod.,

of which the sum of £287 lis. 9d. has already been collected. . , Wellington Prison. At Wellington Prison, according to tho report furnished by the Gaoler.(Mr. J. 0. Scanlon) there were in custody on January 1, 1913, 157 malos and 22 females) a total of 179; 1425 males and 246 females were received during tho year; total, 1670, of jwhich 140 were received twice, 42 thncb, 29 four times, 44 five times and upwards. 'Therewere two deaths during tbe year—both males —one committed for medical treatment, who was found on examination to be suffering from a fracture of the skull, died on the following day; the other was in an advanced stato of phthisis when received. Inquests were hold;and verdicts returned in each case in accordance with the medical evidence. The health of prisoners has been good, very few cases of illness of a serious nature occurring, and tho conduct of the prisoners generally has been good.