BRITISH PENAL REFORMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 47, 20 November 1918, Page 9

BRITISH PENAL REFORMS

DEVELOPMENT OF PROBATION Some interesting proposals were recently made to (lie British Home Seerotary by the, committee of the Penal Reform League, which indicate that public opinion is, moving alone moro progressive linos and is showing n keener mtorost in the intelligent treatment of prisoners of aU kinds, both juvenile and adult. 4 / Tho first recommendation is that at least two women should be added to tho prison commission, ,or that the prison commissioners should appoint a special oommitteo of women to act as directors of women's prisons and tho women's portions of .His Majesty's prisons. Next in order come the proposals that the governors of women's prisons should invariably be women. They recommend that steps bo taken to bring before all judges and magistrates the advisability of allowing responsible persons, especially women interested in child welfare, to attend juvenile courts, even if nob parties to tho case bobg tried. They point out (hat ft is undesirable to ask women to leave the court, when men unconnected with tho court or with the case under trial are allowed to remain, and ask that, where a woman or a girl is a party to :i case or is called as a witness, the presence of n womai: to stay by tho side of such woman or girl should be secured.

Tljeso improvements seem so elementary and so reasonable that their acceptance cannot moot with much opposition. With the advent of femalo suffrage an entirely fresh outlook will be given to female prison-life, and tho long-delayed co-operation of women with men in dealing with offenders will bo brought about. Already further progress has been made. At Aylesbury, women are first and second in command, and it is to bo hoped that the commissioners will soon put Hollowny Female Prison under the euro" of women. .At Cork, the Irish Prisons Board have separate management of tho women's side. The time cannot be very far off when the cooperation of mon and of women will deal with all.questions of prison reform, and in the house-keepjng side of prison administration, especially, the -rork of trained women would effect -man/ needed .reforms- ' , '

Other stops are being taken to sso what can'bo done as regards the commitment of young persons to prison; various details of prison discipline both for officers and .prisoners; reception houses for unconvicted i>e:sons, and the subsidising of societies tor probation purposes under tho Criminal Jiistico Administration Act of IDI4, Section 7. Tho 1 Home Secretary has been.ipproached with iv view to his recoiving a deputation upon these matters. Tho need for homes in each locality in which to house unconvicted prisonoro in circumstances which would prove helpful- and in tho care of persons unconnected with arrest or.-prosecution, is bocoming very great, just as tho demand h increasing for somo. immediate provision- for- the care of youthful offenders- on probation. .' Probation work is st'M in its infancy, bud a beginning has been niado and the •future treatment of tho child-delinquent 'will certainly be based upon -the assumption that he is in tho euro of tho State, his natural siirronndinffs Slaving' provert unsatisfactory and ineffectual, instead of. being regarded in any sense as\a criminal. It is very desirable that the nowers under.the Ac. of 1914 shouU be put into action ns noon as possible, and (lint more available* places should..bo roady for the rccopti >n of young probationers, for the system of probation is of unlimited scope, nvd is in its very essence a work' of'.definite reconstruction. There is every reason to hope that in largocities steps will be taken to establish juvenile - onranisaf ion committees in every .borough and borough ward sn that all philanthropic, educational, and probation workers can link un their efforts. The Home Ofice is to bo" congratulated upon its initiation'of such an excellent method di co-oio'ination.