PRISONS DEPARTMENT PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1928.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1929 Session I, H-20a

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1929. NEW ZEALAND.

PRISONS DEPARTMENT PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1928.

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

Members of the Board. Hon. Mr. Justice Reed, C.B.E. (President); 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. Dallakd, Esq., Controller-General of Prisons.

Sir, — 26th July, 1929. I have the honour to forward herewith the report of the Prisons Board for the year 1928. I have, &c., The Hon. the Minister of Justice. A. L. Herdman, Acting-President.

REPORT OF THE PRISONS BOARD For the Year ended 31st December, 1928. The Board has to report that during the year ended 31st December, 1928, it dealt with a total of 1,366 cases at meetings held at Wellington and the various 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 j Decisions showing how Cases were "3 *C Probationers for op -d -d «2§®riloo aj ' flo l^a 4 3 f B S g IflS Discharge from Pro- I g § " 2 g 2 °» | ° § Month of Has? n S batlon or Variation I •§ § 3 » „tj E.3 'C.2 3 Ja Meeting. g g -og | ° if" Terms of Release. ■§ § o ® '§«|fiL®g M a Sag « „■ "3 'alia 3 " a a a aSafi'SoS g |i3 [ Sag 3 = a OS ~g 2 Crimes Offender g|o o o aaSgl B S'S I S.S.S »• 5 3 »*g 'Hi SbS* 8 ! Amend- Proba- | S § 5.8,3 ol* « o aj a § =2 t ri<2Waj inent Act. tioners. o S&' 0 ? & ' £ PQ W WWW HPH W fu PH ;0 H-I | | H j ; r i i "1 i January .. 7 8 3 1 .. • • .. 19 | .. i 13 .. 6 .. .. .. 19 30 1 22 33 .... 2 1 89 , 15 48 13 13 89 February .. 8 16 17 .. .. .. .. 41 j 7 19 9 j 6 .. i 41 13 5 .. 18 I 7 7 1 3 .... | .. | ' 18 17 4 .. 2 .. .. 23 4 18 .. 1 23 April' .. 241 .. 1 1 243 i 50 187 4 2 243 * 4 5 49 29 .. 2 1 .. 90 : 21 37 29 3 90 1 8 3 .. 12 5 5 2 12 June .. 22 3 39 68 .. 3 3 10 148 27 38 51 22 10 .. .. ! 148 September 36 3 39 29 3 • • .. 110 36 53 8 9 4 110 32 4 .. .. .. 36 12 24 36 "5 20 13 1 39 7 25 7 39 " .. 32 15 •• 47 17 25 2 3 47 November 73 38 96 98 .. 1 •• 4 310 71 203 21 7 4 4 310 116 22 3 .... •• •• 141 39 100 .. 2 141 554 71 386 321 1 11 j 6 16 1,366 318 802 147 77 j 14 8 .. ! 1,366 I I I I ' 1

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Table B. —Showing Releases and Discharges, etc., effected each Month for 1928.

Offenders Probation Act, 1920. During the year sixteen applications for discharge from probation were considered by the Board, and of this number fifteen were granted. Table C. —Reformative-detention Cases dealt with by the Board, from January, 1911, to December, 1928. Total number sentenced to reformative detention .. .. .. .. .. 3 366 Released and discharged on recommendation of Board . . .. .. 2,436 Discharged from reformatories on completion of full sentence .. .. . . 534 Total number released .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,970 Of whom there were —• Returned to reformatories for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 87 Committed to reformatories for further offences whilst on probation .. 176 Sentenced for offences committed after discharge or expiry of period of probation .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 428 Total number returned and recommitted .. .. .. 091 Absconded and not traced .. .. :. .. .. .. 26 Died .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. .. .. 52 Known to have been killed in action whilst on active service .. " .. 3 Returned to Weraroa . . .. . . .. .. .. 1 Transferred to Rotoroa Inebriates Institution .. .. .. .. 2 Transferred to mental hospitals .. .. .. .. .. 3 Transferred to Mount Magdala Home .. .. .. .. .. ] Transferred to Salvation Army Home .. .. .. .. . . 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1928 .. .. .. 41 Number who have not offended since their discharge or expiration of period of probation, and presumably doing well .. .. . . .. 2 143 — 2,279 2,970 Of the total number released after undergoing reformative detention 23-25 per cent, have been returned to prison either for non-compliance with conditions of release or for committing further offences, 2-63 per cent, have left the Dominion or absconded, 0-57 per cent, have died or been transferred to mental hospitals, &c., and 73-55 per cent, have not further offended. Table I). —Habitual Criminals dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1928. Total number declared habitual criminals .. .. .. .. .. . _ 455 Of whom there were released on recommendation of Board .. .. .... 403 Of whom there were — Returned to prison for non-compliance with conditions of release . . .. 46 Committed to prison for further offences .. .. . . .. 144 Sentenced for offences committed after their discharge from prison or from probation . . .. . . .. .. ~ .. 42 Total number returned . . .. .. .. .. 232 Absconded and not traced . . . . .. .. .. .. 30 Died . . . . .. .. .. . . . 14 Left. Dominion to return to former domiciles . . . . . . .. 51 Transferred to mental hospital. . . . . . . . . . 1 Transferred to consumptive sanatorium .. . . .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1928 .. .. .. 20 Number who have not offended, as far as known, since their discharge from probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. 54 171 403

Released on Probation. Discharged from Prison. Discharged from Probation. *2 I 03 £2 [ & ts 1 <u j o3 b S -moo 5 ■ c x , a § > p A c go 1928 ' £ -31 5-2 ,-2 £ ,.2 : J -g.2 .2 Ms 3» 5-S« f€» .s» 1H» i |S» il3» La* §.§«• |€.- -st* |ts» -•§ ■i% ifss is 8 4$S ■&% gas is# ~«isl 4S !SI* is 8 Iss l«s 'i « •fH <3 s'C S £ o ® M G =5 ■5'C c3 «2 t, r C3t,( l jC '" Si 03 *£» "E Sort JHOJCJ 2 Gj ts 1=? rtU 3 So «s-eo CT3U rto rt So o-dO «-oo coo sc So c frj I w $ n W W 05 « ! M i M ) £ pq o M frt j . I I i January .. .. 6 1 8 10 2 .. 1 | 28 February .. .. 3 3 3 17 j 3 .. 1 .. .. 1 j .. 1 .. 32 March .. .. .. 3 6 18 15 7 .. j 6 ! 1 56 April .. .. .. 3 4 5 3 2 .. I 2 1 I • • 20 May .. .. .. 8 2 11 27 3 .. 2 1 ! .. 54 June .. .. .. 8 1 2 8 6 .. 3 2 .. .. .. 30 July .. .. - 4 .. 5 6 2 2 1 .. 1 .. .. 10 .. 31 August.. .. .. 4 2 7 3 .. 2 1 .. .. i ! • • 19 September .. .. 4 .. 4 8 5 .. 3 1 .. .. .. .. ..I 2 27 October . .. 4 .. 8 19 2 .. 2 .. .. .. 35 November .. .. j 3 .. 4 9 3 .. 2 j I • • 21 December .. .. j 7 .. 14 13 2 .. 2 .. .. 3 j 2 43 j 57 17 84 142 40 .. 28 6 .. 2 : .. 15 5 396 I j

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Of the total number of habitual criminals released on probation, 57-56 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 42-44 per cent., but our tables show that 3-97 per cent, died or were transferred to mental hospitals, whilst 20-09 per cent, left the Dominion or absconded. This leaves a definite percentage of 18-38 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 .. .. .. .. .. 2,259 Number discharged from prison on recommendation of Board .. .. 350 Number released on probation on recommendation of Board .. .. 506 Left the Dominion .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 Absconded .. .. . . . . .. . . .. 3 Recommitted for other offences .. . . .. .. . . 30 Completed probation . . . . . . .. .. 371 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1928 . . . . . . 26 Table F.—Borstal Cases dealt with by the Board from January, 1925, to December, 1928. Total number committed to Borstal Institutions .. .. .. .. .. ..911 Released and discharged on the recommendation of Prisons Board .. .. .. 375 Released on expiration of term .. . . . . .. .. .. 64 Total number released .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 439 Of whom there were— Returned to institutions for non-compliance with conditions of release .. .. 5 Recommitted to institutions for further offences whilst on probation .. .. 26 Sentenced for offences committed after discharge or expiry of period of probation.. 33 Total number returned and recommitted .. .. .. .. .. 64 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1928 .. . . .. 151 Number who have not been recommitted since their discharge or expiration of period of probation, and presumablv doing well . . .. .. .. 224 375 439 Of the total number of 439 released since the coming into operation of the Prevention of Crime Act, 64 have subsequently been recommitted, or 14-57 per cent. only. GENERAL SUMMARY. The following table shows the cases considered year by year by the Board over the last decade : —

Table G.

Probationers for Discharge from Habitual Habitual v Probationer v Criminals Reformative Hard Borstal Criminals for ari f> 10 , D erms ° t ± 1 Ycar " and Detention. Labour. Detention. Remission Probation. Totals. Offenders. | Hard Labour. Crimea | 0£[ender Amend- Probament Act. j tioners. - 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 1927 .. 115 766 325 .. 11 13 20 1,250 1928 .. 72 386 I 321 554 11 6 16 1,366 Totals.. 1 799 6,171 2,412 554 32 159 153 10,280 I I

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Having but temporarily assumed the office of Acting-President of the Prisons Board during the absence from the Dominion of the Hon. Mr. Justice Reed, C.8.E., President of the Board, I do not propose to comment on the foregoing statistics except to note that the satisfactory results shown by the statistics for previous years have continued to be maintained. During the last year the Board has availed itself considerably of the services of the mental specialists attached to the Mental Hospitals Department, in conformity with an arrangement recently made whereby the psychiatrists attached to that Department would be available to make reports on any prisoner as required for the Board's information. The Board also records its appreciation of the assistance given by the many citizens who help in connection with the after-care of prisoners, both by way of finding employment and in assisting in their rehabilitation in the community. The Board desires to place on record its deep sense of loss in the passing of its late President the Hon. Sir William Sim, and the high regard and affection in which he was held by the members. A. L. Herdman, Acting-President. 26th July, 1929.

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

Authority : W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 929.

Price 3d.]