"OLD TIMES"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 134, 3 December 1929, Page 17

"OLD TIMES"

A STRIKING REMARK

PRISON AS A SCHOOL

(From1 "Ti, o Post's" Representative.) ! \ LONDON, 24th October. Experiments in introducing community life- in Wakeficld Prison were described yesterday at tho annual conference of the Magistrates' Association by Colonel G. D . Turner, formerly governor of the prison and now inspector of prisons. One feature of the experiment was the institution of a football league championship among the prisoners. Colonel Turner said that young offenders aged 21 to 26 formed a most difficult class. They were! the product of the war, boys who were from 10 to 16 years of age at the end of hostili- . ties and had suffered- from the lack of parental control. They had never learned to do hard "work, and it had -occurred to the authorities at WakeHeld that if' those 'young men could work long and continuously at high pressure it might be of some use to them when they went out into the world again. The experiment had been a great success in its initial stage, and the lads were working very hard. & J

The experiment of allowing the communities to play football on Saturday afternoons, instead o-f walking - round and round a concrete ring, had justified itself. They had a league championship and cup. Not only did football, played by eight or ten teams, promote healthy rivalry between different communities, but it afforded a pleasant topic of conversation for the prisoners during the week.

'•'As I got off a -train on the Embankment the, other; day," added Colonel Turner, ''a-iuan joined me whose appearance had enormously improved. He told me how well he was getting on, and then said: 'I heard you speak on the wireless the other night; it sounded just like old times.' I have since reflected on that phrase. We talk about old ,times at school, the university, and the regiment, but 'old times' in prison is quite new, and I came to the conclusion that it may be true that a man could look back with appreciation ana gratitude upon twelve months spent in Wakefield Gaol."