REFORMING THE PRISONER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3542, 2 August 1920, Page 6

REFORMING THE PRISONER.

NEW ZEALAND'S SYSTEM. •A portion of the Financial Statement presented to the House by the Hon W. F. Massey, referred to the Dominion's prison and the good results following upon the change of policy decided on a few

years ago. -The funct'ons of this Department have expanded greatly in the past few vear, while the character of its work has completely changed. From its former position as a custodial Department only-a dead -eight upon the taxpayers and a clog upon the hfe of the' State-it has developed into a solid working organisation with rapidly increasing revenue, and variety of employment for Uncommitted to its charge J a ™ dairying., stock-raising, stone, concrete, and wood, oad con auction, production of blocks, posts, etc., and trades o texent kinds provide em * while remunerative to ployment that, wnue the State, is vital in its effect ou char! Aind future lives of the men "mhs who have for the: time being Lcome wards of the State. the prison system has now microbe of work as a re agent, the mental and opment of the inmates has been re Jiving adequate attention Evening school and physical cul ure classes have now been in operation for some time new libraries with books by the are being estabUßh^nj fife reformatories, swimming baths and recreation grounds are being constructed, the dietary has been un leing brought into line with the more enlightened systems elsewhere. While conditi ns have been improved in in order that every pTSoU may be given a .r-*»* * rhance of rehabilitating himself, theie Jt pampering. The Department's viewis'thatamanispnnished-bybe-Sg sent to prison, and that so long a Ae works and behaves himself satisfactorily it is not called upon to punish him by treating him unnecessary harshness while he is ,in

"judging by results., the prest* system is incomparably superior, both from a moral and from au economic point of view, to the former custodial system. That the present system has had" a beneficial efflept up the working capacity of the prisoners is shown hy the fact that the cash return from the Department's farms, works etc., for the last financial year was £<*V 000 In addition to this the estimated value cf work carried out for the Public Works and other Departments, for which no payment was received was £21838; whilst the value of the domestic and industrial work required lor the upkeep of the institutions to £28,797. The total value of prison labour for the year was therefore £81635. Prison labour has also been so effectively used in developing the properties taken over by the Department that the assets of the State have been increased in value by fully £BO.OOO in the past few years.