Youthful Depravity.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1922, Page 1

Youthful Depravity.

A REGRETTABLE INCIDENT,

Wellington, sept. 12. Betides showing ah increase in the number of persons passing the State prisons the annual report presented to-day emphasises a regrettable increase in youthful depravity. The: stress of the times is reflected in the criminal statistics, the total number of offenders being 4181 ns against 3491 last yottr, the daily average being 10.56 as against 9.39. This is tin increase of 9 per cent over 1914 and in view of the fact' that the latter wits a prosperous year and 1021 one of the worst for a generation the increase is eharactetisefl Its 'cGrh’pnrfitiyely small, while it appears froth a table attached that the number of New Zealand born convicted prisoners between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five has decreased from 300 in 1912 to 214 in 1921, ex-clusive-.of Maoris. The ControllcrGeneral says experience is that there has been a regrettable increase in the number of youthful offenders during the past few years, to such rtn extent that during oitc portion of the year it w.is necessary to cense drafting youthful offenders to the Invercargill Borstal institution (where all prisoners under tlio age of twenty-five arc sent), owing to lack of accommodation. To met the difficulty the age limit had to he reduced to twentythroe. The Controller adds that to arrive at any definite conclusion ns to the root cause of this undesirable increase in the number of youthful offenders it would be necessary to investigate the history of every individual Case front years of infancy to the date of tile first Offence. In the absence of such data it cnii only be said that a general survey makes it fairly clear that lack of parental control and care in the formative period of boys’ lives is largely responsible for their inclusion in our criminal statistics. Until by private or public organisation the move neglected 'members of the youthful community are given the. care and attention they require in their earlier years ,anci until some great combined effort, is made to give, the youthful mind some natural, proper and healthy outlet, the present regrett.-rble increasa in tlie number of juvenile offenders is likely to continue. Tt is in this direction that organisations like the Young Citizens’ League are doing great work lor the t'omniunity. In crime, as in disease, prevention is better than cure. 1 reVentivo measures must naturally he applied before the disease has developed. In crime os in disease the application of a cure is a doubtful, difficult ahd lengthy process. The percentage of complete recoveries in the ease of confirmed criminals is prohnbl so small as in the case of sufferers from malignant disease who have received no medical attention until the disease lias become well established.