N Z. PRISONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1924, Page 4

N Z. PRISONS.

A.NXt'AI, ItKl’OliT. \\ M.I.IN'CTI >.\, September 2. ’the annual report on pi ismis says that the criminal statistics for the year ended December 31st., 1023. shew that •10.35 distinct persons weic received into tlie prisons of the Dominion, as against, 40511 for the previous year, all increase nf )70. or 2.5 jer cent. The liumhirs for 1022 were less than those for 1021 by 12b, so that the variation over the past three years has been slight, 'the daily average number of prisoners in custody ini reused from 111.3.45 in 1022 to 1127.17 in 1023, or 1.2 per cent., ro that for statistical puro) ses it may lie aai.l that the gross figures for the two years were practically the same. The slight iiu rea.se in rece| tions is chiefly accounted for by the greater nuiii'ier ol short sen ten e I prisoners, there being 1303 committals for terms cl three months and under in 1023. toinpared with 11120 in 1022. The number of youthful nllcmlrr.s between the ages of fifteen and twentylive received into the prisons and prison institutions during tin* year was 203. a decrease of 4 7 on the figures for the previous year. This number does not. however, include Maoris, 37 of whom

hot ween the ages mentioned were received. compared with 20 in 1022. It must In- recorded, however, that .Mao. i ; of all ages iceeived into prison iiiimlicrcd II! in 1023. against Dll) in 1023.

The im i oniii oi ime anioii". the younger .Ma il is is regrettable, hut ii is hoped that the decrease shown in the number of t(Oiiinitmeats among flic older men indicates a diminution in the iiundcre re-eenvietions of those who have V timisly .served sentences. Possibly the majo itv of the younger men have tc irnt their I - on by sen im; one xtoit ■ If o. 11l . t.iinfl lli .1 lie i, oil ..I loin pd from both ic'nnmitnrics arc exceedingly sa I isfa-'t ory. The co:ii| a rat ively better showing load.' by the AVaikeria institution is explained by the fail, tiled the worst offenders are m l sent there. while at Invercargill tin lestrielioti is the age limit, which is now t w outy-threo. Youths who have been drafted to Invercargill Inti are afterwards found in tie incorrigible or in

oxen ise :i 1 1: i: i: ■ Tll l iiillu.'iM <• iivoi- til . oilier inmates, .'Hi' transferred (o t!i s ?:<*tu■ l jil | li'isi 1 ns, but :is they hav “passed t lirougli’’ tlie I>:)!.stsil** tllci name.-; appear on the ivenih c.f llint In * ,slit lit inn. Mini if they me re-c onviclci i after eventual release, as almost in I eiilahly lian|:ens. they are clas.sei > among the ••liorslal" failures. ' l In regard to sexual oiTemes, it ap 1 pears they are .steadily increasing, tie . total n ll inliit Icin;; IS in lllt’l). (!7 ii ' IflL'l. 7:1 in lf)2'_’. ami SI in lie , turns of sexual offenders (oinniittei i from all Courts actually in custody i i May I Oil i.. UtM. give the somewhat dis ’ t orbing total of fit It!, or 17.‘_ , 7:i per -enl of the total prison poplllalii il, while i! males only are considered, it is liniiii that 15.7117 lercenl. of all male prisoners are sexual offenders. The eases vary fralli the (milder class to definite offences involving gross sexual ] erversion and intclTerem e with (hildreii of hot h sexes. Mingle offences of this class may in smiles eases he attributed to lemporary mental aberration or irresistible impulse o( ( lining only once in the lifetime of the individual concerned. hut i.nforl unately we have (juiL.* a number of men in the prisons at the present lime who have been guilty c.f repealed offences of the same class extendin'/ ever a number of years. There are. in fa t. men reiently lesentemed for sexual oll’euce.s while oil probation after serving terms from ten to twenty years for oU'eiices of the same class. The | cr.sistence through life of this form af abnormality lias been proved beyond i|iiestioli. jiiiil ii lias I ecu made perleeily dear that the unfortunates who are so cursed must t:dealt with in some different way from these who i.fiend against the law in other directions. Men of this class arc not <-riminn's in the ordinary sense, of the term, lint in their own interests, and in that of the community. they cannot he allowed at large unless .some change can he effected in their mental condition.