WHISPERS OF EVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1193, 11 October 1928, Page 18

WHISPERS OF EVE

BRIGHTER Boifea^LS

pOiNTHALSWEUListhe^ite of th^ * " only wbinanfs; Borstal Institute m New Zealand,:' and, so fair as was kno^n to ; Prisons ' < Ihspector - ' Macintosh,* ; . 'the only -one South of the^liine. It is, still a. , new -endeaybr,: but. visitors have -hot far' to .look bebre-. seeing that great :^v V ' ; y Theiwopde'd hiiis^ planted by prison labor, look :dp c wii; ; ohVa' shining -stretch of 'se'av i TJp i ■■• there,'; -perched like ;:^n eagle's iiejit, is Point Halswell Eio'rstal Institute; ; a-vlow >whi^e;?b.uilding, robf ed with red tiles arid; ? frorited with, smooth 'green lawns.- If *youv see a blue -f rocked glrl : pushing a lawh-mower, that 1b probably- ohe^ of the gardehiiig brigade. Gardening, milking, , pig-minding and chicken- raising' are .among the occupatibnß with which the- girl: inmates pass :their'.time.\. ; : V--/'-r- : V. :• v ;. ; .'-. ■ . ,- VThe 'longest "sentence," says Miss Watkln; : matrons of the institute, "is 6ne.;of fjve years, b.iit th.c average' term is ifrom' two to three years. ; We .want U»at^: time to ..be .spent - partly m, work, partly m education arid partly m recreattbn. ;, •■.•';■';•,..■.,.;•, ... v.. :. : ■ ■•• • ■

•'. : - I '^tteT.e/:. ; are^;thr<3e-.;.separia.te , houses. When eaChJ g|fl:"arrives,vshe; is .on.probation for three months, which means 'that ,she -.hasn't'., the-- privileges of 'senior : members.' v:'Bfae. wears 1 a> dark blue frock. ; Some , kind;..of work is given her, its dependent on the state t of '.herihJ&aUh.-, a', : . -„ ' -. '■:: „-.; '■•< "We do all the laundry work for the prisons here m an .; enormous copper. We are well equipped. for laundering. Then there • is fcobliing,. sewing--we make. ! thousands yof'v puttees for Trehtham^and - : .thfe l outdoor, branches i of work.' -...■■" ':.; ■ i '-'\' .;-.■•■:* ..'■ :.. ' : -. ... ■.

. "The girls lea-ye here fitted to;, take up, enaployqaent £nd the Borstal Assqcfktion 'flridsfeich one? of them a situation !bef or e^they leave." •-;, '' ... When : a^girrhas passed her time of probation, she isvnipyed on to i^ a H e " field fitouse, where she 1 dressep ih'grty, has longer recreational hours, more attractive meals and a better. , time ; In general. She is given her own little room, a tiny place, but .comfortaWe enough, with wardrobe, • fable,; ;; chair, strip of and" ;be^.. Her- '. own photograph's and ''knick -knacks? are allowed pride of place on her table, and a mirror !oh the wall makes some conceasion to feminine vanity. ■ _ There is a little .circulating library, several magazines, being regularly taken— aha hot purely "improving" magazines, either. A tennis, court and a basketball court are features of the grounds. '■• ./.;;; ...... ■ ... ■; ' ..-,. . ■.■•-.

M 1 Fergussqn House live the "star" pupils,. whose; pale blue frocks denote, the fact that they -have ■■ responded well to treatment; and are, almost ready, to leave. They have wireless, a gramophone and ''a. piano, arid the long corridors of their house are full t of ferns. This is the "brighter side "of Borstal life. But outside ;stjll stands the- old solitary cell, a depressing concrete structure m which, a refractory girl can spend twenty-four very unpleasant h(Jfors on bread and water. '