The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1912. PRISON STATISTICS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 September 1912, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1912. PRISON STATISTICS.

The annual report of the UnderSecretary to the Department of Justice to his superior -Minister, referonce to which was made in an earlier issue of The Chronicle, is a pronouncement of especial in ten;. t to people who take mi intelligent interest in the social developments and retrogressive factors of their communities. A table compiled by Mr Hay (the Under-Secretary) sb nvs that in 1910 the number of prisoners received !n Now Zealand prisms totalled 43(i8. In 1911 the total number was less by 468 (3900). The classification of these totals shows as follows 1910 191 i Sentenced toSimple imprisonment ... 51 57 Hard labour, under threo months 3111 3059 Hard labour, three months and under twelve GO! 506 Hard labour, one year and ovor ... ... 269 'i('9 Death 1 Reformative treatment only 08 4368 3900 In some elaborating comments tin . Under-Secretary remarks that al- ' though this shows 468 fewer admissions of criminals under sentence, it does not necessarily imply -168 fewer criminals. That there is a ; decided reduction is more than likely but it may be that in the previous ■' year a much larger number of prisoners were convicted several times. < Taking these figures done, and nut 1 going into questions of undetected crime, it is satisfactory to observe 1 thnt apparently fewer offences ivore committed. Hut were there fewer * oirenders? Table F in the appendix is designed to answer this question. f Here wo are dealing with persons, not convictions, and therefore a ( iprisoner is not counted more than | once in the year in which, after ; conviction, he was admitted to . the prison. For six years the. total 1 number of distinct persons (exclu- 1 sive of Maoris) imprisoned after con- e viction is- given, and also the ratio c of prisoners to the general poptila- 1 tion. It will bo seen at- a. glance i that the year under review occ- » pies a. conspicuous]}' favourable po- 1. si tion, there, being .fewer 3>ersons t convicted than in any five previous e years (365 fewer than in 191*0), and i< with a reduction in the criminal n population coincident with an in- w crease in the general population .the p fact is further emphasised. During d 1911 there 'were 2,877 distinct per- n sons imprisoned after convietiin, a h number which represents 28.35 per t 10,000 of the general population. C The next lowest ratio, 31.84, was in 11 1908, and the next lowest number of a prisoners, 2,96G, was in 1906, when a the ratio was 33.12 per 10,000. si

Another part of the "Under-Secre-tary's report which provides food for reflection" is the section conoernJng probationary criminals. Mr Hay remarks that the ((iiestion of release upon probation is an important one. whether it be under the First Offenders' Probation Act,, or extended to habitual criminals, or prisoners undergoing reformative detention. Without wishing to minimise the role of heredity, if must be acknowledged that environment, even in its most restricted and least scientific sense, plays a very important part in the produetion of the criminal and his continuance in that character. In gaol his anti-social proclivities are repressed .-H-freouently .the bad criminal j.<=j a. /•'gopd ' euviro/.inept'i

is simplified, his life is ordered for him, and he soon recognises that it is hard to kick against the pricks. When hi duo course the Board thinks fit to recommend his release, all the time and labour will have been wasted if on being turned i"t» a complex world he'should find and follow the line of least ressitance. In a.-M'orld rendered less complex by placing him in an occupation for which he is fitted, in a suitable locality, and for a time keeping over him the hand of the law. unseen but lightly touching, sufficiently to steady him, he will find conditions to which he is able to adjust himself. Hitherto, release on probation has not presented tho" difficulties which one forsecs, because, the number dealt wjth 'being comparatively small, it has .been possible to find suitable oecupaption and to nialfe arrangements for periodical reporting; but the time. is approach--rng when more extensive' and sys- • /tomatic arrangements must be made. The valuable work done by ; voluntary bodies, especially tlic Prism crs' Aid Societies, ishojild' be "'co-oidi-schenlo; introduced. The matter has been discussed with tho Y-isiting Adviser, .arid the'scheme he has 'drafted commends itself as 'being'on practical lines, making provision as it does for seeking out employment in anticipation, instigating necessary investigations regarding its suitability, placing the probationer therein,, reporting on his progress, and carrying out adequate supervision without having reoo.ir.se to. police 'surveillance. TRICKS OF THE TRADE. A SEitvicE to New Zealand as a whole was done this week by Mr OVoy, M.P. (Taranaki) when he drew ] üblic attention to the dishonest practices of certain Australian business firms which markets inferior meats in such a,'manner that Now Zealand is regarded as the country of origin. Mr Okey brought the matter under the notice of the. Minister of Agriculture, and placed a. question on the Order Paper of the Bouse o? Representatives. According to the member for Taranaki. this inferior meat is prepared in Australia, and is put up in tins with labels containing a coloured map of New Zealand, and no other matter by the way of print'i><r. to show that the contents ; ,. 0 (l ii,« r ii,.,„ the n''"'hi-ts of New Zealand. In the light of these facts. Mr Oaklev a«l>s the Minister for Agriculture "will be take the ne.c----e« am- steps to inquire into the.position?" Naturally, those persons who purchase ni<"it nut no in these tins are under the impression that thev are'buying New Zealand croods ; and the quality being inferior. New Zealand's sreniiine meat preserves suffer. The matter is one for treatment as drastic as possible,