ANOTHER GAOL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 303, 18 September 1919, Page 6

ANOTHER GAOL

THE POINT HALSWELL SITE WELLINGTON MEMBERS IN PROTEST Wellington members of the Houee of Representatives interviewed the Minister of Justice (Hon. J. G. Coates) yesterday morning to protest against the proposal to establish a prison for women on Point Halsvell. The site for this prison is now being excavated, and can be seen from most parts of the city. The prison, when completed, will occupy a dominating position overlooking the city. ilr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) said lie believed tho opinion of the people of Wellington,' if it could be expressed, would be strongly opposed to the proposal to m'oviie accommodation on Point Halswell for tho women who were to be removed from the Terrace prison. The site proposed was not a suitable, and certainly not an ideal, situation tor a orison. It was windswept, and it had tliij further disadvantage of being very prominent. ■" The erection of a prison there would commit tho Prisons Department for a loiij,' time to come, and people who realised the importance of prison reform would be '-ery sorry to see a newgaol established on such a site. Mr. Eraser said tho lato Minister of Justice had certainly not been enamoured of the l'oiut Halewcll site, which seemed to have been adopted as a temporary expedient. It was not desirable from any point of view that a urison should be kept permanently in the city area. The Hon. J. G. Coates: We aro all agreed on that. Mr. Fraser suggested that the women prisoners could be placed to _ much Ereater advantage on some eito in the Hutt Valley or tho Otaki district. Mr. J. P. Luke (Wellington North) said the Point Halswell sito was one of the most prominent in the city, and a gaol established there would catch the eye of every visitor to the city, J. he disadvantage of having a gaol in the city had been realised already in connection with the Terrace and Mount Cook gaols, and he hoped the Justice Department would nnt inflict another blot upon the city. If: would be much better that the prisons should be removed from the centres of population altogether. A gaol should be seen by as few people- as possible. It certainly was not desirable that the iraol should bo seen daily by the general public. Ho agreed that a-prison ought to ha7e happy alul healthful surroundings. He hoped the Minister would reconsider the use of the Point ■ Halswell sitft. Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East) eaid that when the Government built the gaol on Mount Cook, in a position overlooking the city, public feeling was so intense that the authorities had to abandon lhe use of the building. The Justice Department ought not to proceed now with the erection of another prison in a position overlooking the city. IJie Women's National Council had suggested that the new prison for women should l>2 placed in the country district, adjacent to some railway station. It should be surrounded by a sufficient area of Kood agricultural land, so that the women could be einployeJ • outeide. lhe women of Wellington, were, firmly opposed to the erection of a prison at Point Hnlswell. 'The Government had established a prison for men at Trentham. well awav from the view of the general "'m/r. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) reminded the Minister that the Terrace Gaol had been built away from the residential area, but tho city soon grew around it, The same sort of thing happened in connection with tho Jit. Look Gaol. Tho city was bound to continue its growth, and it was going to develop in the direction of Point Halswell. Tho citizens had learned by experience that onco a prison was established the authorities were not easily persuaded to move it, and there was bound to bo difficulty if buildings were erected at Point HalsMr. B. Semple considered the protest to bo entirely justified. Tho population of New Zealand was bound to grow. It, would reach ten millions, in yoare to come, and tho public men of to-day ought to look ahead. The erection of a gaol in the suburbs of the city was most undesirable. New Zealand's prisons, as a matter of fact, were a disgrace to the country as far as their surroundings were concerned. They were dull and repulsive, and they, could not be expected to exercise any reformative influence

on prisoners. , Mr. Matthews: Have you been to Invercargill ? Mr. tlemplo: Invorcargill is a great improvement on tho methods hitherto adopted. Tho authorities are entitled to credit for tho treatment of juvenilo offenders there. Mr. Matthews: Hav6 you been to Waikeria? Mr, Semplo: "No." Ho added that the Department ought not to erect a prison that would be a monument of misery in tho eyes'of WeUingtou people all tho time. If the citizens had the power to speak, on tho subject they would unanimously rejtot tho Department's proposal Jtp erect a gaol on Point Halswell. Mr. Matthews, speaking at the suggestion of the Minister, said there was no good ground for the suggestion that hard-, «bip on the prisoners would be involved m the use of tho Point Halswell site.

The female division at the Terrace Prison admittedly was out of date, and had been a reproach to the Department for some years past. The Department had to flhil another place for the women. The Point Halswell site had been a prison- area for the last thirty or forty years. It had an area of laud suitable for gardening purposes. About two acres had already been cultivated and quite good vegetables were being grown. A. few cowe were being run on tho adjoining ground, and The milE used at the Terrace Gaol was beiug supplied from Point Halswell. Additional land could bo cultivated. The tfte, from an institutional standpoint, was quifo a good one, aud there -would be no hardship on the prisoners if a gaol were placed there. Tho question of whether or not a gaol should be placed in tho locality at all was another matter, mid lie would not express an opinion. • It was a matter of policy.. He had been rather surprised to find that the Point Halswell site was suddenly being regarded as a place of so much importance. The trees planted on tho re- j servo some years ago were doiiig very well and would provide additional shelter. It was true that a prison for men had been established iu" the Hutt Valley, at Trenthani, and ho would remind the deputation that the late Minister of justice {Air. Wilford) had been severely blamed by the people of tho district for allowing this to be done. There would bo objections from local residents wherever the prison was placed. The Point Halswell site was separated from flie suburban area by a large Defence reserve. It was no more exposed than Hoseneath, for example. Tho Department, as a matter of fact, had grown iige tliere and had been able to sell them at quito a profitable price. The number of women to bo accommodated

at present would be between 15 and 20, Tho Minister of Justice said the position was that tho Department 'had undertaken to remove tho prisoners from the Mt. Cook site in order to permit, of tho erection of a now technical school. This involved tho removal of the women from tho Terrace Gaol. The proposal adopted by tho Department was to roinovo Jheso women to Point Halswell, whero 6ome work was already proceeding. He thought tho women would have to (jo there in tho meantime. There scorned to bo no other course. Ho quiteagreed Hint a gaol ought not to bo one of /the architectural features of tho city, anil ho recognised the importance of the paints that had been raised. He would | inspect tho sito and look into the whole question. Tho improvement of tho prison eystom was a most important matter, flnd ho believed that the UiiderSecretiiry of tho Justice Department had tho right ideas on this subject. , Mr. Wright: You will slill Jμvo men left at the Terrace Gaol? .Mr. Matthews: We have other schemes. Dr. Newman: Can tho Point Harwell prison bo looked upon as a temporary thins, or flre you proposing to spud a lot of money on permanent buildings? Mr. Contest "It is not proposed to spend a lot of money immediately." Tho Minister assured tho deputation again that ho would look into the matter thoroughly.