CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 766, 12 September 1929, Page 7

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

PRAISE FOR PRISONS BOARD THE SENSE OF INNOCENCE (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter) PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Wed. A vigorous defence of the Prisons Board and its operations was made in the House of Representatives today by the Minister of Justice, the Hon. T. M. Wil- ! ford, during a debate on the Prisons Board report. He expressed pleasure at the deterrent effects of imprisonment in connection with crime, and denied the allegation that the Prisons Board was controlled by Mr. B. L, Dallard. Controller-General of Prisons. “I think it will be admitted that I know something about criminals,” said the Minister. “What money I have made in the past 30 years has been from defending criminals.” Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon): As a lawyer or as member of Parliament? As a lawyer, said Mr. Wilford, and from his experience of criminals he wanted to say particularly that he had never found a man in gaol who would admit that he was guilty. Labour members dissented. Mr. Wilford said that it was his experience. It was also the experience of others. Mr. Stewart, official visitor to Mount Eden gaol, had said that it was his experience that every man was convinced that lie had a little point in his story on which he did not get a fair run, and which would have resulted in his escaping the penalty imposed. What judges and magistrates were aiming at, as far as possible, was to keep a man out of gaol for the first offence, and to impose a short, sharp sentence for the second offence. That was proving effective in the majority of cases. MR. DALLARD’S INFLUENCE The Minister denied the assertion by Mr. E. J. Howard, Christchurch South, that Mr. B. L. Dallard, ControllerGeneral of Prisons, was really the Prisons Board. Mr. Dallard was not the whole show, and the Minister was surprised at the statement. “One has only to look at the constitution of the Prisons Board to see that there are no men there likely to be run by an officer,” said Mr. Wilford. “Would anyone say that Mr. Justice Herdman was a man who would do exactly as Mr. Dallard told him?” Other members of the board ■were Sir Donald McGavin, Mr. D. G. A. Cooper and Mr. John Alexander. These could not be accused of being controlled by Mr. Dallard. When a man was recommended for discharge because his conduct had been satisfactory, the board did not go into all the circumstances of the case, but was prepared to accept the recommendation of those in touch with the prisoners. In that way 50 or 100 cases might be put through at once. Cases in which there was a conflict of evidence were thoroughly investigated. Members of the Prisons Board were excellent men, and the work was done gratis. Mr. Howard: You have not many Labour men on the board, have you? The Minister: I have had the opportunity for one appointment only, and I put a womau on the board. I think I did the right thing there. Mrs. C. A. Fraer was an excellent appointment. MISLEADING STATISTICS Discussing the fact that of those released from gaol, 73 per cent, had uot offended again, the Minister said the result was a good one. It had to be remembered in connection with these figures that they included men always going to prison. One man might have several convictions a year, and all those convictions were separately included' in compiling statistics.

Mr. H. E. Holland: Can’t statistics be prepared differently? The Minister: I think the criminal statistics should be compiled differently. As they are now they are totally unreliable. Continuing, the Minister gave an assurance that the prison warders were thoroughly versed in the aim of the Prison Department to cure the men in the*- charge. If those people who wrote . > the papers so frequently advocating various kinds of penal reform would devote half the time to interesting themselves in prisoners’ after-care societies they would be doing a much better service. The Minister hoped it would be possible to have more after-care societies to assist in giving discharged prisoners a chance to secure employment and make good.