PRISON SYSTEMS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1924, Page 8

PRISON SYSTEMS

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

DOMINION'S AGRICULTURAL SCHEMfc APPROVED.

The Under-Secretary for Justice and Comptroller-General of • Prisons, Mr C E. Matthews, returned to Wellington by the Marama to-day, after spending some time in. Australia, more particularly. in Sydney. He was on holiday, but while m the Australian States he took occa-' sion to inquire into several matters relating to justice and to prison administration. .

"My work and responsibility," re-J marked Mr Matthews to a "Post"-re-presentative to-day, "make it necessary ■' that I should get away from my duties ' for a time. While in New South Wales" and Victoria I investigated matters iiiJ I connection with the' Justice and Prisoy* ■ Departments in order to ascertain the ; position of affairs in regard to both. phases of my work in New Zealand,:' '^ ''Having visited all the principal' prisons-in New South Wales en my previous trip in 1914, I. eonflned my. attest; tion to the main institutions on this oe< ' casion-j. and did the same in Victoria,; : I did not make a general. tour, as ok : my former geurney, but this- time I Vfsi|\' ted French Island in the company of. ,Mr MacPherson, Public Service Com, . missioner and Acting Inspector.Qenerali of Prisons, who showed me all that #as, to be seen in the prison settlement and" ■ the country leading te It, ; • "French Island, it may be said,-is off the south coast of Victoria, about 55 miles from Melbourne, In this place':; .the Victorian, prison authorities have es^. tabllshed a smal^ open-air camp, much ' i on the game'lines as the much larger'; schemes in New Zealand, My conclusion regarding the merits ef the respecV Jive prison systems of New South Wales.;:. Victoria, and New Zealand, is that" tfhile the Australian States have built : up their system almost entirely on fn- ■ dustrial lines,.llewZealand has followed" out the agricultural and land settlement: policy laid down Borne years agej and' that, while it is somewhat difficult •W " compare the two systems, owing to the' absolute difference iq the general method" of operation, I pm quite prepared: to say that I have no doubt as to the ad- ' visability of continuing to carry out ouc present administration en- the lines was V i have been following for the past few..• ! years," Mr, Matthews expressed his high appreciation of the courtesy ex-' tended to him by the heads of the Prisons Departments and ef the Departments' of Justice of both New South Wales ah* Victoria, '

In reply to A question as to the allegV ' ed deportation of New Zealand dis^K charged prisoners to Australia, and particularly to New South Wales, Mr. Matthews said that his office had communicated with him regarding an article thai■jad appeared In the Sydney "Daily Mail * making. * B eriou a allegation in this direction, Being on the spot, he-. immediately interviewed Inspector-Gen-'' | ra\ Mtchell, the head of the New, : South Wales Police Force, in regard to the allegations. It soon became apparent from. Mr, Mitchell's remarks that" lie was far too practical a man to have had anything to do with the statement appearing in the "Mail," Ke stated that while, of course, New Zealand pris-'■" oners desired to leave' New Zealand." they naturally made for Australia as • being the nearest country available. In: the same way, he was quite aware that a number of Australian criminals adopt, ed the same course in regard to NewZealand, ;;' ;Mr,:. MitchelUvas-quite defim ■ ite In saying that he' had made ho state- ' ment whatever regarding the matter, nor did .he hold the opinion that New South Wales had had moreTNew"Zealand'' criminals than would come to Sydney im the natural course. '■ :