THE COUNTRY'S GAOLS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3106, 1 February 1909, Page 4

THE COUNTRY'S GAOLS.

The Lytttltun Gaol is the first prison to be inspected by the new Minister for Justice,' who, however, intends visiting all the gaols in the Dominion. The Minister was reticent regarding the impressions he had received from his visit, but Mr G. L'.iurenson, M.P., has been acting as a kind of intermediary between the Minister and the Press. According to Mr Laurenson while the gaol certainly fulfils all the conditions of being an instrument of punishment for criminals, little or nothing was being done to attempt to reform any of those coming within the walls of the prison. Mr Laurenson iays that the Minister is inclined to think that there are too many small gaols b ing kept open, and that it would be far better to have one or two largo central prisons in which a proper system of classification and reform of the inmates could be carried out. As yet, however, the Minister has not come to any definite decision regarding this matter, but, after having seen for himself certain matters brought under his notice by Messrs Laurenson and Ell, he expressed himself as being quite convinced as to the room existing for vast improvements in our present system of dealing with those unfortunates who have lapsed into crime. There is, no doubt, that the weak spot in the prison system of the country is the practical absence of all reformatory methods, unless, that barbarous enactment, the Habitual Criminals Act, can be called a reformatory measure. Without a proper system of classification, however, the value of any system'of reform would be largely minimised. It is gratifying to learn that the Minister sees room for "vast improvements," and the principle of one or two large central prisons, in place of so many small gaols, seems to have much to commend it. The introduction of methods of reform would certainly result in a reduction of the number of prisoners: Offenders against the law should not be the subject of vengeance, but should be treated in a spirit of compassijn, tempered with justice.