COST OF PRISONERS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10535, 23 January 1912, Page 4

COST OF PRISONERS

According to the Melbourne Age, the prisoners of Victoria cost the taxpay-1 er £4O 16s 3d per head per annum to , maintain. The prisoners of .New Zealand cost £2B 14s 6d. As compared with New Zealand, Victoria is £U& 9d nor head of its prison population to the bad. That is to say, every one of its prisoners costs annually £l2 3s 9d more to support than any New Zealand prisoner costs the Dominion Government. "The discrepancy," says the Age, "is startluigly large; altogether too large, in tact, to be explained by reference to the pa-ice of commodities or any difference in the salaries of gaol officials. Indeed, if the truth be told*' living is not cheaper in New and_public service salaries ar"e often higher than in Victoria.' The -responsible factor is to be found in quite-another direction. New Zealand has had the courage to utilise her prisoners productively. That is the secret in n nutshell. Those who have given evidence of a desire to reform are put to work in afforestation cairps on the public estate. The more dangerous and less trustworthy classes are compelled to work at useful trades in the gaols. In other cases the criminals are obliged, partially at least, to earn their own living." '