POINT HALSWELL PRISON

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 10, 7 October 1919, Page 9

POINT HALSWELL PRISON

DECISION OF THE MINISTER A good deal, of comment has been made lately on tho proposal of the Prisons Department to establish a prison for women at Point _ Halswell. Excavation work and building operations on the prison- reserve liavo been going on for some time past, and as they proceeded the'new- prison buildings became more and more prominent from the city. There has for many years been a prison rtt Halsiv.ell, but the buildings having been of low design, they were almost -hidden from public view, and only recently: since tho work of extension has devoloned, did tho existence of the p'ri- : son become known. Sundry local social societies have objected to the placing Of \\'bmeri'at the prison on the ground of . ..tlwumsuitability of tho site, and a few (lavs ago. the Wellington members of ' 'Parliament interviewed the Hon. J. G. Coates; Minister .of . Justice, and, whilst endorsing the views of the social socie- . tiw, pointed out that a-latge protninelit prison in- such a conspicuous situation of- much picture?quene,«s would be. an '.eyesore t.a. the-'city. The .Minister promised to go into the matter, and yesterday ho was asked by a Dominion repre'simtative' whether" lie was'yet in a position to state what conclusion he liftd -come- tor . the. Minister. "both the site and proposed accommodation at Point- Halswell, and also tho female division of the Terraco prison I think. I, am now familiar with the whole, matter. Upon taking .UD:.office recently I found that the main lac tors guiding tho Prisons Department in its proposals for the removal of the • women from: the Terrace prison aro:— (1) The unsatisfactory. nature of_ the ■ «xisting accommodation at the Terraco prison; (?,) The long-standing promise of tho Government to. make, the Terraco .site availably- for- educational- purposes. 13) The necessity for establishing a central prison for women of tho incorrigible, .class, to enable the. -Department -to provHs: ail, adequate' echeino of classification' by drafting the worst from the other institutions. (When provision is. made for this- class of» criminal women ~it. will' b'a. possible- to- establish a- State reformatory, under the Reformatory In-:etitutions-Amendment Act,- 1918r to-which can be drafted the young women.and tho corrigible casea' for- whom there is at present no proper provision). "I am satisfied from my personal investigation that; the. Department's rca-sons'fbr'vacating-the-Terrace are round; also that the site at Point Halswell could be .made! suitable for. the purpose •for-which-tlio'., Department proposes to use it. '" I think the ' provision being, made for the women prisoners is satisfactory,.. and . undoubtedly marks an ad-. ■ -vanee. on- conditions 1 now existing at the Terraco prison. There are, however, other considerations that have to be tftkeif. into account before the erection of further permanent buildings at Point Halswell can be gone on with. The ■ .city,, members: of Parliament raised an objection-to-n punitive institution bemg put in such a prominent position, commanding the entrance to the , inner barlioilr."' I' consider that the views of the local members, who included the Mayor of the city, aro entitled to proj> w r attention. "I have, -therefore, decided that the additional cell building intended for the women prisoners at Point Halswell be not proceeded with . nor any further buildings,.that, could-not: bo readily moved .be erected. This will prevent tho ■ site jieing used as a permanent prison, ■although, for the reasons stated, the Dlace must bo used temporarily', so that the female division of.'the-Terrace orison can bo closed as speedily as possible. "It is the aim' of. the Prisons administration to place, where possible, its permanent institutions for prisoners in - country. districts where outdoor occupa--Hons can 'be' followed, and inquiries are now being made for suitable sites."