THE PRISONS BOARD

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 17, 14 October 1921, Page 5

THE PRISONS BOARD

REPORT FOR YEAR 1920 REFORMING .THE OFFENDER "The board has frequently referred to the gratifying results of the probation system as applied to refolmative-deten-tion prisoners," states tho report of the Prisons Board for the year 1920. “It is now in a position to give the percentage over a term of ten years of offenders of this class who have respected tho conditions of their release on probation. It is most satisfactory to know that over that period 74 per cent, have not cOme again into the hands of the authorities. Of the remainder, 21 per cent, have been returned to prison for breaking their probation obligations, and 5 per cent, died or have been accounted for otherwise. "Of the habitual criminals released on probation on the recommendation of the board, the percentage of tl*>se who hate been recommitted to prison continues to bo much higher. Only 25 per cent, have not offended further, and,of the.remainder, 52 per cent, were committed to prison again, and 23 per cent, have either left the Dominion or failed to report to the probation officer, and have not been traced. Relapses. "It is not a particularly cheering fact to place on recoi-d that 52 per cent, of those released during the ten-year-period under review were returned to . prison, while 23 per cent, have left tho Dominion or absconded, leaving 25 per cent, only who, to the knowledge of the authorities. have not relapsed into criminal ways. It has been pointed out in previous reports that many of these men are heirs to criminal tendencies, and, moreover, have had the misfortune to live in an environment which, under tho circumstances, could hardly havo failed to lead to active crime. Tho board, in the exercise of its discretion, has given them the opportunity to continue in the complexities of the world outside the prison gates the good record they , had achieved within, and, after nil, it is something to be thankful for that 25 -per cent, of these unfortunate beings have, under generous treatment in terms of the New Zealand criminal law, kept out of prison after release on probation. "On the whole these figures must be considered satisfactory, and especially so with respect to the reformative-detention prisoners. The members of the board in their periodical visit to the Borstal Institution at Invercargill have not failed to observe the gfeat pains taken by the officers there to make the inmates realise that their future lives are going to be sadly marred if they continue in a course of evil-doing. The regular and intelligent methods of educational instruction given, and Hie no-less-imnortant physical exercises, in which proficiency is very marked, go liand-in-hand in the rehabilitation of the characters of those who have taken the first downward step, and it is a pleasure to the board to be able io testify io the steady imnrovement in the administrative methods of the Prisons Denartment as evidenced at the Invercargill institution under its control. Walkeria. "It is no less gratifying to tho board to witness the steady progress that is being made with tho reformatory farm nt Waikeria. It is manifest that the better class of adult prisoners who are sent to this institution must, under the useful instruction in farming operations which they receive, and tho health-giving outdoor life they lead, become better men. They leave tho institution an acquired knowledge of a class of work which enables. them to speedily obtain employment, and there ore many instances within the knowledge of the Department of men from Waikeria who have become useful members of society with but little c'hance of relapsing to evil ways of . life. "The board, when interrogating prisoners in the exercise of its functions and inquiring into their personal and family history, concluded that in some cases the prisoner was not entirely responsible for tho acts committed, on account of mental defect or deficiency, though not so pronounced as to be classified os insanity. Some of these unfortunates were’being provided for sufficiently well bv the open-air life and work discipline at the reformatory rostitctions, but some cases seemed focal l for the observation, care, and treatment of alienists. Sexual Offences. ' "More particularly is that so in the case of many sexual and wHh respect to that class tho boaid passed tho following resolution: . Whereas an increasing number of sexual offences has been su bject of frequent and serious judicial comment, especially in oases where young children were the victims or the very serious nature of the chai go connoted a perversion dangerous tho moral well-being of society, and. as the experience of tho board i dealing with prisoners of this cla s accords, as far as it goes, with. the now generally accepted opinion that, with certain exceptions, persons committing unnatural offences tabou under physical disease oi disability, or mental deficiency or disorder, or both which accounts for the sexual perversion and the morbid chjuncter Ko offence charged: It is resolved by tho Prisons Board to strongly recommend to the ’p? Te “ n * do? amendment of the Crimes Act under which such offenders could bo dealt Z'th scientifically :—(l). Before senfence is pronounced, by furnishing expert medical or surgical reports or . evidence; (2) by 6e X’ determinate sentence; (3) by se n r s" gating persons so sentenced and subtacting Them, under proper safecards, to any medical or surgical treatment which may be deemed necessary or expedient either for their own good or in the public interest. “The work of the board for the last two years has shown a heavy mcrea-O over all previous periods, «nd as a result of the legislation passed during last session and the consequent extension of the functions of the board, its work in tho future is likely to be> still siderably increased. .The members. f. the board ’have given very earnest attention to the important work entrusted to them , and they will assume the additional duties imposed upon them by Hie C rl ™os Amendment Act and the Offenders Probation Act of last year with the heartiest desire to tissist the legislature and the Prisons Department in their praiseworthy efforts to ameliorate the condition of the inmates of the Dominion prisons and reformatories, and to improve its criminal statistics from year to year. The board dealt during 1920 with 648 cases. In 168 it recommended release on probation: it deferred decision in 388: declined applications in 41; and made ul recommendations for . discharge from prison or from probation.