The Press. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Thursday, September 3, 1908. PRISON REFORM.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 303, 3 September 1908, Page 4

The Press. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Thursday, September 3, 1908. PRISON REFORM.

The question of prison reform is attracting a good deal t of attention just now, and it is to be hoped that it may go on attracting attention until something practical results, says the “ Lyttelton ' Times.” The suggested classification of prisoners is not likely to do much good if reform is to end there. An earnest attempt should be made to touch the hearts and awaken the consciences of the imprisoned. But they must not be u patronised,” and neither is it advisable that they should be “preached at ” overmuch. Unquestionably Mfi Laurenson was right when he tojd the House the other night that “ -4 man who was merely confined in given monotonous employment, and subjected to long periods of loneliness, was sent out a worse t man than

when he went in.” Our own method o£ utilising prison labour in tree-planting and road-making is preferable to that formerly adopted in the English prisons, when hard labour men were put to the treadinill and set to turn iron cranks ; but many prisoners k are physically unfitted foi such toil as making roads, and are (in the majority of cases) very unlikely to seek for similar work when liberated. And that is the point. If all prisoners were, without exception, compelled to .master some useful skilled t r ade or handicraft, they would, when free, be almost certainly able to command remunerative employjf meat, and thus have a substantial inducement to turn over a new leaf. The suggestion of pictures and music as humanising and reforming agencies is excellent. At the same time it is essential that sentimental considerations should not be carried too far. The prisoner must not be allowed to forget- that he is being punished, and that it rests principally with himself whether he is to become a respectable member of society or not.