PRISON POPULATION IN N.Z.

Southland Times, Issue 24885, 27 October 1942, Page 6

PRISON POPULATION IN N.Z.

Military Defaulters Affect

Committals

“The aggregate number of prison receptions during 1941 was 3656, the number of distinct prisoners involved being 2369,” states the Prisons Department report for 1941-42. This was an increase of 168 on the number committed in 1940. The increase was almost entirely accounted for by committals for breaches of the National Service Emergency Regulations for military obligations. The number committed for drunkenness chad substantially declined. Of the total sent to prison, the ratio of New Zealand-born was higher and the number of Maoris showed a small increase. The increase fell mainly in the age group between 20 and 30 years. Prisoners had been employed mainly at farming, quarrying, road works, tailoring, bootmaking and laundering. Besides its occupational value, a good proportion of the work was directly related to the war effort. Total credits to the vote were £80,514, reducing gross expenditure from £158,704 to a net charge of £78,190 against taxation. The Prisons Board reports that the percentage of offenders who made good after release had been maintained. Approximately 22 per cent, of those released after undergoing sentences of Borstal and reformative detention or imprisonment with hard labour had been again convicted or had failed to comply with the conditions of their release. The board aimed, particularly i among young or first offenders, to per-

mit a substantial portion of the sentence being served on licence. Of those declared habitual criminals and released by the board since it was constituted in 1911, a total of 56 per cent, had been returned to prison for failure to comply with the terms of their probation or for further offences.