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1911. NEW ZEAL AN I).

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, PRISONS BRANCH (REPORT ON), FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st DECEMBER, 1910; ALSO OPERATION OF THE FIRST OFFENDERS' PROBATION ACT, 1908 (REPORT ON), FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st DECEMBER, 1910.

Presented to both Nouses of the General Assembly by Command of //is Excellency.

The Under-Secretary, Department of Justice, to the Lion, the Minister of Justice. Department of Justice, Wellington, 30th June, 1911. I have the honour to present to you the joint report of the Inspector of Prisons and the Visiting Adviser for the year ended 31st March last, together with the annual prison statistics. There was an increase of 172 in the total receptions in the various goals, as compared with the previous year, every prisoner being counted once every time he was received, whether after sentence, for trial, on remand, on transfer, or in transitu. The actual number received after sentence was 4,390, as against 4,360 in the preceding year. The actual number of prisoners in goal on the Ist January, 1910, was 949, while the number in prison on the Ist January, 1911, was 882, a decrease of 67. At the present date, 30th June, the number is 891. It should be pointed out, however, that a number of persons are now sent to inebriate institutions or reformatory homes who previously were sent to gaol. The total number of distinct convicted prisoners received during the year shows an increase of 83 (vide Table D). The proportion according to population (Table F) shows a slight decrease. There has been no movement in the criminal population for the last year or two calling for comment, but it is clear that crime is not increasing. A new plan in connection with the tenders for supplies to the various goals was introduced during the year. Hitherto the practice has been to invite tenders at so much per ration as laid down by the regulations, but now tenders are invited for supplies in bulk. This plan is working satisfactorily, and I believe it will result in considerable economy. On my visits to the prisons, I have found the rations of good quality, and any complaints have been promptly remedied by the contractors. The improvements and alterations effected in the tree-planting camps are set out in the report of the Inspector of Prisons and the Visiting Adviser. The'provision of single huts is a great advance, while the erection of buildings, which are used for meals and after working-hours, enables a closer supervision to be kept over the prisoners, and at the same time affords opportunities for improvement and reasonable relaxation. The same difficulties as to the selection of prisoners for the camps still present themselves, and, although the greatest care is bestowed on the selection of suitable men, every now and again one or two prisoners will give trouble, and try to take charge of the camp and to manage it according to their own ideas. But, generally speaking, the inmates of the camps are well behaved and hard-working, and fully appreciate the advantages of being in a camp instead of in a town prison. The camp at Waipa is now used for first offenders only. Tne scheme of prison reform initiated by yourself has not yet progressed as rapidly as some ardent enthusiasts would desire. Progress in this direction must necessarily be a slow process, owing to the enormous difficulties involved in substituting modern, well-equipped penological institutions for obsolete gaols. The gaol at Dunedin, for instance, is absolutely useless for any purpose other than the detention of prisoners in confinement. The gaol at Napier is little better, and the Lytcelton Gaol affords few facilities for any kind of classification or reformative treatment, though improvements in this direction are in contemplation. These are the worst instances, but similar difficulties confront

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