“Forbidding Fortress Frowns on Auckland”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 445, 29 August 1928, Page 9

“Forbidding Fortress Frowns on Auckland”

GLOOMY CITY GAOL REMOVAL TO BE ULTIMATE POLICY (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Report e r.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. That Mount Eden gaol is not fulfilling its specific functions as a stronghold in which may be retained dangerous criminals, who might escape from other institutions, was the charge made to-da> by Mr. J. A. Lee (Auckland East), who said it was high time for the removal of the prison from the city. “The ease with which a prisoner can escape appears to be obvious.” said Mr. Lee. This was largely because the prison was in a very thicklj' populated area. Prisoners who escaped had hardly stepped a few yards in any direction before they were lost in the city. The cost of removing the prison would be high—there was no doubt of that—but at the same time the oost of looking* for escapees was high. “It would be interesting.” said Mr. Lee, “to know* the full cost of searching for and apprehending the two prisoners who recently escaped.” General Booth had said that Mount Eden gaol was the gloomiest prison he had seen in the course of all his wide experience and travels. This suggested that Mount Eden prison was by no means a model, and might not be serving its purpose. The whole question of its situation had to bo carefully looked into. Mr. Lee also suggested that the hours of work of the staff should be reviewed. He was not blaming the prison staff for the escapes. There were hundreds of desperate, daring, and often clever men in the prison, and once they were over the wall they were in the heart of a big city. Under these conditions, escapes could not be ascribed to laxity on the part of the staff, which should not be asked to continue working impossible hours. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central!, endorsing Mr. Lee’s remarks, referred to Mount Eden gaol as “a gloomy, forbidding fortress, frowning over the city of Auckland.” The gloomy partals and corridors were a challenge to any man of freedom. The place should ndt only be closed, but also razed to the ground. “It is admitted that if we wer<* to start over again, we would not put a prison where Mount Eden is,” said the Minister, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston. The type of prisoner kept there could not be accommodated at prison camps. Mr. Parry: The place is an eyesore. The Minister: None will deny that. The ultimate policy would be tire removal of the gaol, and that end would be kept in view*. There was also some discussion of Faparua prison. Christchurch. Mr. E. J. Howard contending that It was as gloomy and oppressive as the old Lyttelton gaol, while others disagree^