REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF PRISONS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2245, 13 June 1881, Page 3

REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF PRISONS.

[By TELEOBiPH.] [FEOM THE OWN COBEKSPONDBNT OF THE " PBES3.”] WELLINGTON, Juno 11. The report of Captain Hume, the Inspector of Prisons, was circulated to-day. He states that the prisons, as they at present exist, are neither deterrent nor reformatory through the absence of classification, owing to limited accommodation. He urges upon Government the necessity of enlarging the chief gaols to admit of classification. There should be one large central prison capable of accommodating 300 prisoners, to which all male offenders sentenced to penal servitude should be sent, and so kept entirely from hard labor prisoners during the whole period of their servitude The district prisons should bo largo enough to accommodate in a seporate cell all prisoners sentenced to hard labor, debtors, remands awaiting trial, and youths. These prisoners should have their meals in their cells, and bo kept quite separate, except when on works, at exercise, or divine service. The existing system of prisoners having meals and spend- , ing their spare time in association, is detrimental to prison discipline. He advocates * improved arrangements for washing and : weighing prisoners, the use of corporal 1 punishment for prison offences, especially in the case of serious assault on a warder, the 1 introduction of the birch rod, as it has been found in English prisons that birching, whilst being a safer punishment than flogging, at the same time by placing the recipients on the footing of boys has a humiliating effect,and, therefore, is deterrent and a valuable ■ addition to the cat as a means of punishment. He considers that endeavoring to educate prisoners is a mistake, as a man who has performed his day’s allotted task of ; hard labor cannot possibly benefit by attend- . ing school in the evening. He therefore recommends that schooling in prisons be ; abolished, but every prisoner who is not too . old, and conducts himself well, should have facility afforded to learn a trade during his 1 imprisonment, whereby he would be enabled to earn an honest living on being discharged. All criminals should, while in prison, be divided into classes as follows—(I) old and J habitual criminals who have several previous * convictions against them ; (2) those against whom no former convictions are known; 3 (3) youths and boys sixteen years old and ’ under; (4) those under remand and awaiting trial; (5) debtors, &c.; each class being kept 1 separate both on works, at exercise, and when 1 in prison. He recommends that prisoners ] sentenced to hard labor, or simple imprison- < ment, should pass through the following < classes :—probation, third and second classes, > after which they should be eligible for pro- - motion to the first class, one-fourth of the f whole sentence being passed in each of the 1 first-named classes. Penal servitude prisoners < with long sentences should pass through 1 a minimum period with good conduct ‘ and industry of one year in probation, one in 3 the third, and one in the second classes, after ‘ which they should be eligible for promotion 1 to the first class, and as a further incentive to < good conduct and industry they might, for 1 the last twelve months of their sentence, be promoted to a special class. In order that t criminals, on their discharge from prison, i should not be entirely destitute, a gratuity 1 scale is suggested. He holds that the present i system of granting remissions on hard labour i or simple imprisonment sentences of four i months and upwards is a great error, and I tends only to lessen the severity of the sen- c tences, making them neither deterrent nor preventive. The prison diet in New Zealard is pronounced too liberal, and the use of tobacco in prison is strongly condemned. He ] would substitute term “ prison ” for “ gaol,” ] “ superintendent ” or “ controller ” for { “ gaoler,” and give officers power to deal with t certain prison offences, reuorting weekly on ] the subject of serious offences to bo dealt ; with by the visiting Justices, as at present, i The gaolers, on the whole, are carrying out their duties in a generally satisfactory ‘ manner, with few exceptions; but some, ] by reason of age and infirmity, have ( passed the period of efficiency, and .should < now be directed to retire. As vacancies occur ( the superintendents of prisons should be ] selected from retired naval and military i officers, of whom there are many in the colony ready and anxious to accept such appointments, and who, from their service, i experience of discipline and management of i men, are well calculated to give satisfaction ] both to the Government and to those of i whom they would have charge, A new scale 1 of pay is submitted, and he feels sure that, should that scale be adopted, the Government can procure naval and military officers who i have already served the country faithfully, again ready and willing to do so in this department, whilst the advantage that would accrue from having gentlemen of such standing to preside over criminals cannot bo overestimated. The subordinate officers are, as a rule, too old and slovenly, and younger, smarter and more active men should be sought for, and greater pains taken to ascertain thoir antecedents than has been the custom heretofore. They should also be pliced on a general roster for promotion, and so be transferred from one prison to another, and in no case should a local man be posted to his local prison. The warders, as a rule live too far from the prisons, and prison labor might be profitably employed in building warders’ quarters, thereby saving the Government allowance. A better class of matrons, not related to prison officers, should be engaged as vacancies occur. The present system of detaining prisoners for prison offences after their sentences have expired, is most objectionable, and open to much abuse. No person should be, under any circumstances, kept in prison after the sentence awarded by the Judge or Magistrate has expired. It will be necessary to have a new Prisons Act brought before the House during the coming session, which would enter fully into details os to sentences, remissions, powers of gaolers, punishments, &o. Allusion to the visiting justices or their duties is carefully avoided, the Government not having as yet issued any orders on the subject, or defined his duties and status in reference to them. A confidential report on different prisons is appended, some of them being recommended to be closed. Such is the purport of the report, which has not yet been considered by the Cabinet, although certain recommendations about , crossing out prisons have already been acted I on, and others regard ing retiring superannuated : gaolers are likely to bo carried out. It is ru- ■ mored that the recommendation as to appointi ing only mill;ary or naval men to the chief offices does not meet with unqualified approbation.