PRISONS DEPARTMENT. PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1926.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1927 Session I, H-20a

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1927. NEW ZEALAND.

PRISONS DEPARTMENT. PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1926.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Members of the Board. Hon. Mr. Justice Stringer (President); Sir George Fenwick, Kt. ; William Reece, Esq. ; Sir Donald McGavin, Kt., C.M.G., M.D. (Lond.); D. G. A. Cooper, Esq. ; John Alexander, Esq., C.M.G.; and B. L Dallard, Esq., Controller-General of Prisons.

Sir, —■ Auckland, 3rd August, 1927. I have the honour to forward herewith the report of the Prisons Board for the year 1926. I have, &c., T. W. Stringer, President. The Hon. the Minister of Justice.

REPORT OF THE PRISONS BOARD. Fob the Year ended 31st December, 1926. The Board has to report that during the year ended 31st December, 1926, it dealt with a total of 1,138 cases at meetings held at Wellington and the various prison institutions of the Dominion. The following table sets out under their respective statutory headings the number of cases considered at each meeting, together with the decisions reached : —

Table A.

Cases considered of ! Decisions showing how Cases were disposed of. "I si -C i •joJ Probationers for So -6 v ogS i & ai! ■« g a Ph g a q 0 Discharge from Pro- £ £ 82 .. .. P , r g fo g.2x5 bation or Variation V, __ <3 — M 2 ' Month of Meeting. ||| | O Terms of Belease. |g | | igSg.Sf. 5*| | !i| U 1 I Crimes Offender | f | J f Sl|J l-J b|| » 3 Sfo ■ga Amend- Proba- 15 3 g 3.S.S3 oS^ a &3Ph« w mentAct. tioners. "<d "S "S a>Qpuifi< 8k-"S o W M S |W ! H X p. =3 O i Ph h March .. 10 200 28 4 5 247 52 167 .. 1 23 5 .. 247 „ 7 35 19 .. .. .. .. 61 22 33 6 61 .. 5 4 .. .. 9 3 6 .. ; o May .. 9 110 57 1 2 4 183 43 74 49 1 12 4 1 183 August - ■ 1 33 20 .... .. .. 54 27 11 10 6 .. .. 54 .... 46 .. 46 8 35 .. 3 .. .. 46 ..2 18 9 .. 29 10 14 2 3 .. 29 .... 32 14 .... .. .. 46 14 24 2 6 4ft October 7 2 11 1 | .. .. .. 21 1 15 2 3 21 2 80 37 ..; .. 2 2 123 35 50 24 12 2 123 •• •• 1 •• 1 .. 1 1 December .. .. 181 1 .. .. .. .. 182 31 150 .. 1 .. .. 182 .. .. 38 10 .. 1 .. .. .. 48 8 35 3 2 48 .... 5 5 .... .. .. 10 4 4 1 1 .. .. 10 „ 9 36 22 ,. 2 i 5 78 17 35 11 10 5 .. 78 47 822 237 2 2 12 16 1,138 275 654 104® S8 16 1 1,138

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Table B. —Showing Releases and Discharges, etc., effected each Month for 1926.

Offenders Probation Act, 1920. During the year sixteen applications for discharge from probation were considered by the Board, and the full number received was granted. Table C. —Reformative-detention Cases dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1926. Total number sentenced to reformative detention .. .. .. .. .. 3,003 Released and discharged on recommendation of Board .. .. .. .. 2,183 Discharged from reformatories on completion of full sentence .. .. .. 437 Total number released .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,620 Of whom there were — Returned to reformatories for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 85 Committed to reformatories for further offences whilst on probation .. 164 Sentenced for offences committed after discharge or expiry of period of probation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 360 Total number returned and recommitted .. .. .. 609 Absconded and not traced .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 Died .. .. .. . - .. .. .. ■. 7 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. .. .. 46 Known to have been killed in action while on active service .. .. 3 Returned to Weraroa .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Transferred to Rotoroa Inebriates Institution .. .. .. .. 1 Transferred to mental hospitals .. .. .. .. .. 3 Transferred to Mount Magdala Home .. .. .. .. .. 1 Transferred to Salvation Army Home .. .. .. .. .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1926 .. .. .. 48 Number who have not offended since their discharge or expiration of period of probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. .. 1,874 2,011 2,620 Of the total number released after undergoing reformative detention, 23-24 per cent, have been returned to prison either for non-compliance with conditions of release or for committing further offences, 2-75 per cent, have left the Dominion or absconded, 0-65 per cent, have died or been transferred to mental hospitals, &c., leaving 73-36 per cent, who have not further offended.

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Released on Probation. Discharged from Prison. Discharged from Probation. Ji A d b ®aS o -i o 3 1926. | j-a -5.2 | J,-a -|.J | -fco Totals. 4 1 J Is Isg 41 lis all 41 lis § Sills •?•§ —4 ,~H fl IS tj -4-3 CO CD 8 IB t_i -P rrt 2 ."tJ « 02 c -P JS ® __4 CO 1<s -s'ga •§-§« Is -sia <§■§« lo -s'ga i-sl la m a ifg a w w a !«_ ____K _ i January .. 2 2 10 2 .. 6 .. .. .. .. .. 22 February .. 3 4 7 2 .. 4 .. .. .. .. .. 20 March " 1 .. 6 1 1 .. 5 .. 14 April .. 5 8 16 4 .. 8 .. I 1 42 May.. .. 5 2 13 .. 1 21 June .. 3 . . 13 1 .. 6 1 .. 4 .. 28 July .. 4 .. 26 2 .. 3 .. .. . . .. 35 August .. 4 .. 15 3 .. 1 .. | 23 September 11 3 19 6 . . 4 . . . . . . 43 October .. .. . . 8 3 ., 2 . . .. . . . . .. 13 November 6 1 7 3 . . 1 . . 1 1 2 . . 22 December .. 1 .. 2 4 4 .. .. 5 .. 16 Totals 45 20 142 30 .. 40 1 4 1 16 .. 299

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Table D. —Habitual Criminals dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1926. Total number declared habitual criminals .. .. .. .. .. .. 416 Of whom there were released on recommendation of Board .. .. .. .. 364 Of whom there were —■ Returned to prison for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 44 Committed to prison for further offences .. .. .. .. 120 Sentenced for offences committed after their discharge from prison or from probation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31 Total number returned .. .. .. .. .. — 195 Absconded and not traced .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Died .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. .. .. 47 Transferred to mental hospital .. .. .. - .. .. 1 Transferred to consumptive sanatorium .. .. .. .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1926 .. .. .. 28 Number who have not offended, so far as known, since their discharge from probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. .. 56 169 364 Of the total number of habitual criminals released on probation, 53-58 per cent, were returned to prison either for non-compliance with the conditions of probation or for committing further offences. No offences are recorded against the remaining 46-42 per cent., but our tables show that 3-84 per cent, died or were transferred to mental hospitals, whilst 19-50 per cent, left the Dominion or absconded. This leaves a definite percentage of 23-08 who have remained in the Dominion and have not further offended. Since 1917 the Board has dealt with the following hard-labour cases : —- Table E. —Hard-labour Cases. Total cases considered .. .. .. .. .. ..1,613 Number discharged from prison on recommendation of Board .. .. 279 Number released on probation on recommendation of Board . . .. 400 Left the Dominion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 Absconded .. .. ■ ■ • . . • . . .. 1 Recommitted for other offences . . .. .. .. .. 21 Completed probation .. .. .. .. .. .. 294 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1926 .. .. .. 28 GENERAL SUMMARY. The following table shows the cases considered year by year by the Board over the last decade

Table F.

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Probationers for Discharge from tt . | Probation or Habitual n , r Variation terms of !««■ Criminal. »«1 ZmOM? K.rd labour. "ZZ'o™ ProbMion. ToUb. «•"> "»"'• Crin. | Oftnte Amend- j Probament Act. I tioners. . _ ]917 .. 95 329 14 I .. 438 1918 .. 87 201 92 .. .. .. 380 1919 .. 97 471 115 ..18 .. 701 1920 .. 74 467 75 32 .. 648 1921 .. 75 564 167 .. 18 17 841 1922 .. 93 594 271 .. 19 30 1,007 1923 .. 74 671 304 4 16 24 1,093 1924 .. 80 683 302 3 13 21 1,102 1925 .. 70 747 295 1 12 9 1,134 1926 .. 49 822 237 2 12 .16 1,138 Totals 794 5.549 1,872 10 140 117 8,482

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It is satisfactory to observe from the foregoing statistics that, as heretofore, not a fourth of those who have undergone terms of reformative treatment have again offended. Of those released on probation on the recommendation of the Board after serving a term of imprisonment involving hard labour, 80 per cent, either successfully completed the term of probation or were satisfactorily complying with the conditions of release. Of the habitual criminals released on parole, 23 per cent, refrained from further offending. Considering the intractable material dealt with, especially the latter class, and the whole of the circumstances, particularly the adverse economic conditions which have without doubt accentuated the difficulties that have faced the discharged prisoner in re-establishing himself in society, the results are decidedly gratifying. The results of the Borstal cases are even more satisfactory. Of the total of 214 young offenders released since the passing of the Prevention of Crime Act, 1924, up to the 31st December last, only four, or 1-87 per cent, have been subsequently reconvicted. On the sth August, 1926, the Hon. Sir Robert Stout resigned from the Board consequent upon his appointment to the Legislative Council. Sir Robert occupied the position of President of the Board from the date of its inception in 1911 until the date of his retirement as Chief Justice, on the 31st January, 1926. Mr. Edwin Hall, of Auckland, also resigned during the year. He had been a member of the Board for eleven years, but latterly, on account of failing health, had not been able regularly to attend the meetings of the Board. The Board has to express its appreciation of the services rendered by these gentlemen. Both were deeply interested in the work of the Board, and gave their time, at considerable personal sacrifice, freely and liberally in this connection. T. W. Stbinger, President. Auckland, 3rd August, 1927.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given; printing (750 copies), £5 15s

Authority : W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 927

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