REMUNERATIVE JOBS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5457, 5 August 1929, Page 4

REMUNERATIVE JOBS.

SUCCESS AFTER GAOL. MANY INSTANCES RECORDED. The Sydney Evening News says—: It sometimes happens in our courts that if a person promises a job to a youth convicted of a minor offence the magistrate or judge will bind him over to come up for sentence or will suspend sentence, but it is not often that a judge will save anyone from a long sentence in gaol as happened last week when a youth was released because a good-hearted South Coast farmer had offered him a job. In cases where youths have been released in such circumstance? they : have generally played the game and made good. To many men, however, a sentence in gaol is a blessing in disguise, f«.r in prison they are taught a variety of trades. They can become carpenters, cabinetmakers, bootmakers, farmers, or tailors, whilst women are taught cooking, dressmaking, and raffia work. Some youths are sent to the Emu Plains Prison Farm, where they are taught farming. It is at the conclusion of a sentence that is the most critical part in a criminal’s career. That is the time when he has to decide whether he will return to his criminal ways or become a law-abiding ciuzen. Nowadays, owing the work, of the Prisoners’ Aid Society, 90 per cent, of prisoners who have served their esntences do become law-abiding folk. Now Factory Manager. This association, of which Mr H. W. Robinson, who is appointed by the Comptroller-General of Prisons, is the managing secretary, gives a large measure of aid to men and women who have served their sentences. It found positions for 218 persons last year, provided other persons with fares, clothing, tools of trade, and stock in trade. It purchased swags for 46 others, who desired to go to the country. In a number of other cases they helped to set up in small businesses men who had served long sentences. These men had accumulated a substantial amount of cash while they were in prison, for most prisoners are paid each week for their work. Since the association was established 28 years ago it has helped 24,409 ex-cri?ninals and found positions for 11,645.

Some of these men to-day are hold ing positions worth £lOOO a year.