Crime in Dominion on Downward Trend

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1054, 19 August 1930, Page 7

Crime in Dominion on Downward Trend

REPORT for last year SALUTARY terms wanted the SUE S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Monday. Despite the depressed industrial and ■onomic conditions, which undoubtedly have a marked influence on the amount of crime, the annual report qf the prisons Department, presented in the Bouse today, shows that the slight downward trend in crime of the past £eW years has been maintained. The following table summarises the position during the year: Number in detention at the beginning of the year 1925. 1.549: 1929, 1 454; decrease, 65. Xumber received during the year, 5,133; 5,076: 57. Xumber discharged or transferred, 5 19S; t he end of th© year, 1.484; 1.395; 89. During the year the following were the offences and the numbers of persons committed. with comparative figures for 3 928. Offences against the person. 196 (165>: offences against property. 854 (877): miscellaneous offences. 1,546 (1.506); total, distinct persons. 2,596 (2,548). The ratio for each 10.000 of population was 17.62 against 17.37- The number of commitments to prison for drunkenness was 426, as ~va i nst 412 in 1928. A slight increase in the number of commitments for vagrancy is also noticed. Th© extent of serious crime in the Dominion can be gauged from the period of sentences imposed, for it may bo assumed that short sentences connote offences of a more or less venial nature. In this respect, it is to be noticed that 34 per cent, of the total number of persons committed to prison were for terms of less than one month, 38 per cent, for terms of less than three months, and 73 per cent., or approximately three-fourths of the rotal number of persons sentenced to imprisonment, were for terms of less than six months. It will thus be seen that the proportion of serious crime is relatively small. ALTERNATIVE METHOD In view of the strong authoritative opinion as to the futility of short sentences for reformative purposes, the desirability of applying some alternative method of treatment, such as probation. the imposition of a fine, or, where it is considered the ends of justice cannot be adequately met by such means, a more salutary term of reformative detention should be considered, in preference to meting out a sentence which is too short for the practical application of any socialising influences, but which, nevertheless, habituates the offender to the conditions and atmosphere of prison, and thereby diminishes its deterrent influence. During 1929 there were no hangings and no floggings. During the year the prison statistics given include Borstal institutions, but separation shows that 164 lads and 12 young women were committed by the courts, and 11 youths and three young women were transferred to Borstals from industrial schools and penal institutions for training and discipline. PRISON REVENUE The total cash receipts for industries during the year, including institutional items, amounted to £83,506, nearly £ 10.000 in excess of the figures for last year. The net expenditure amounted to £39,070. and the net receipts were £80,365. Farms and gardens brought in £21.642, quarries £29.989, road works and contracts £17,781, bootmaking £4.288. mail bag repairs and tailoring £2,386, and miscellaneous industries £4,279. The net expenditure during the year totalled £55.442, as compared with £89.457 in 1925-29. The cost a head for the prisoners was £62.04.

The annual report of the Prisons Board states that the year’s results may be regarded on the whole as satisfactory. There has been a slight increase in the number who were granted remission of their sentences on probation, as compared with the previous year. The percentages of lapses subsequent to release, with the exception of habitual criminals, has been small, only 17 per cent, of those ordered Borstal detention by the courts, under the Prevention of Crime Act, 1924, having again appeared before the courts after their release. In this class, if the percentage of failures is calculated on the total number who have passed through the Borstal institutions by transfer or otherwise since their inception. the statistics show that Just over 10 per cent, only have relapsed :nto crime subsequent to their release. The number released after serving sentences of reformative detention, or imprisonment involving hard labour, who were re-convicted or failed to comply with the conditions of their release. was just over 26 per cent. Not so satisfactory have been the results in regard to habitual criminals. Fifty-six per cent, of those who had been declared habitual criminals, and released in terms of the Crimes Amendment Act since the constitution of the Prisons Board in 3 911, have been returned to prison for non-com-pliance with the conditions of their probation, or for further offences. MENTAL DEFECTIVES Th© freer use made of the Mental •Defectives’ Act for the mental examination of persons charged with offences where the question of mental impairment is involved, is commented upon in the report: "In this connection many persons {Pay be certifiable as ‘socially defectlve’ within th© provisions of the Mental Defectives Amendment Act, 1927, but are not thereby' relieved of criminal responsibility’ at law, as it is impossible to certify that they were not aware the nature and quality of their act ‘Tnd that they did not know such act to be wrong. A fixed term of imprisonment in such cases rarely' affords adequate protection to society and is Pot always in the best interests of the ,® n ders themselves. It is hoped, as soon 41 s the financial »«tlon improves, that it will be possible to make provision for the treatme nt of such cases in an institution, or institutions, under the Mental Deectives Board, where they can be deatned as long as they are regarded as * danger to themselves or the com“lunity, regardless of the expiration of n Y sentence imposed.*’