CRIMINAL REFORM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 236, 10 February 1911, Page 4

CRIMINAL REFORM

Till' TOKANTT ESTABLISHMENT. "The Govcrnmcut, arc pushing on with the Tokanni reformatory," said the Hon. Dr. Kindhiy recently. ' The institution] which is near Te Awamutu, is the outcome of the new system of criminal reform adopted in Xew Zealand, and full detail* of it were submitted to Purlinment last session. The preparation of the place could not be rushed, added the Attorney-General, because cartage and road formation were difficult undertakings. As much expedition as was reasonably good, however, was being shown, and it was hoped the place would be in fill swing this year. "As the judges, 1 am glad to see, are freely applying indeterminate sentences," nr. Findlay continued, "the first result will be an increase in the number of prisoners in our gaols and reformatories. That will further necessitate an extension of th« farm, and probably an extension also of the tree-planting stations. T have reas.)U to believe, however, that the application: ot the indeterminate sentence is als<» acting as a deterrent in itself. Figures gave the other day in regard to thanumbers in gaol at present, as compared' \uth those of the same periods in previous years, can, I think, be best accounted for 011 that ground." It wan found, for instance, in tiie States of America where the same principle was applied, that criminals left those States.