HOWARD LEAGUE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1930, Page 5

HOWARD LEAGUE

v -HAMILTON BRANCH. -' HAMILTON,. August. 8. Stibng criticism of: the penal system was expressed by Mr F. A. de la. Mare, president., of the Hamilton Howard the annual meeting .of the iefigtie'dast evening Tlib''Pti'spris Board represented sentimehTfilismta.t its worst, he said. Its.ap'peal ' r tb" ,; fSelingSy was. based on ignorance'.i;';'Tlie' Board assumed that- conf6rniity;':t6':'!pnson regulations represeiited"protection to society,. and that remiss|6ii 'of sentence may be founded oxl it'; ‘ The only real protection society could liave, if remission were contempiati'd, was scientific examination of character and the social history of the inmate.

“Our prison system does not contain one officer capable of making such an exam'i'hatidii,” he. added. “We must make ~up' bar minds as to what we really want. Nothing is easier to mete out than punishment. The really important matter is the possible contribution 'of the offender to society, on re-lease/-Why'should punishment be called reformative if there is no pretence of reformative methods? The name Borstal‘Ws it exists in New Zealand is a fraudulent -misrepresentation. i If we hold . ! but- ; Institutions as representr ing the Borstal idea, we are deceiving the publifc-hy a pretence, Those who seek 'prison reform want, in addition, the abolition or reform of the Prisons Boards