PRISON REFORMS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10252, 31 May 1911, Page 6

PRISON REFORMS.

AN INTELLIGENT SCHEME

FOR NEW SOUTH WALES

United Press Association—By Electric Teleg r aph—Copyrigh t.

(Received May 30, 8.-55 a.m.)

SYDNEY, May 30.

Mr Hoi man, lecturing before the Royal Society, outlined some important prison reforms. He said if ho found that a hard labour diet was inadequate for a strong man it would be altered. Consumptives among the prisoners would receive outdoor scientific treatment.

] lii order that prisoners' wives and families would not suffer, the men Mould be compelled to perform remunerative work, and thus repair tho : wrong done society. They would introduce the experiment of afforestation hy ex-prisoners, as'was done in New Zealand, where it was' highly successful. It was intended to establish free camps, conducted by the Government, where the released men would go straight from gaol and earn eight shillings per day. This would do wonders to complete the reformatory system. They were arranging the abolition of the Supreme Court circuits in the country, and instead would send the Judges out shortly after the prisoner's commitment on a serious charge, in order to prevent unjust waiting, and the congestion of litigation in Sydney. A Court of' Criminal Appeal would bo established also, and the Executive would be relieved of the duty of deciding whether capital sentences would be carried out by tho transfer of the responsibility to a tribunal of Supreme Court Judges, presided over by the Chief Justice.