REFORMING CRIMINALS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 260, 24 March 1911, Page 6

REFORMING CRIMINALS

MR. JUSTICE CHAPMAN'S VIEWS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Gisborne, Thursday. At the Chamber of Commerce banquet last night interesting remarks on the difficulties of reforming criminals were made by the Hon. Mr. Justice Chapman. lie said that so far as judges and magistrates were concerned they had really very little to do with the question. They could only exercise the power vested in them and if any one would tell him how to reform a criminal he would thank him quickly enough. There were, however, in New Zealand men connected with the administration of justice who without professing to know how to reform these unfortunate people were really trying to solve the problem of crime and its treatment. It had for many years beep to him a very depressing thing. As boy he had seen crowds of criminals marching between the Old Bailey and Newgate, and they all looked like ruffians of various kinds. He used even then to wonder whether it was possible to do anything for them. Was it really possible that they eould be reformed'! A great many people had asked themselves this question, but none could answer the question save those who said "Reform." To this day there wav the same problem, and the question had not been properly answered. But there vfere earnest people in this country who were really trying to put their ideas into practice." He gave credit to the Hon. Dr. Findlay as being first and foremost among them. This matter was a blot on our civilisation. No other country had, however, done much better. He did not say one could go far in the nature of the reform of hardened criminals, but it was possible to try to do something in th* case of those who were in the budding stage. They could see if something could not be done by making them work in a rational way. If comething could be done in tlftit way a great deal would have been achieved. Crime was, however, not a serious disturbing factor in our daily life. As a matter of fact, the criminality of this eountry was trivial, but people feel and flight to feel naturally something more sliould be clone to try to eradicate [he criminals who arc a standing disgrace on our civilisation.