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Session 11. 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, PRISONS BRANCH (REPORT ON), FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st DECEMBER, 1911; ALSO OPERATION OF THE FIRST OFFENDERS' PROBATION ACT, 1908 (REPORT ON), FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st DECEMBER, 1911.

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

The Usdek-Secretaey, Department of Justice, to the Hon. the Minister of Justice. Department of Justice, Wellington, Ist July, 1912. I have the honour to present the report of the Inspector of Prisons for the } T ear ended 31st December last, together with extracts from the Gaolers' reports and the annual prison statistics. The report of the Inspector contains full references to the prison population for the last year, and I need not-recapitulate them. The new system of tenders for supplies to the gaols has worked well, and no complaints were received during the year. A new method of compiling the prison statistics has been adopted, which will, it is anticipated, ensure more accurate returns being obtained. Arrangements have been made to transfer the women prisoners at Lyttelton Prison to Addington, where the conditions will be much more suitable. Women prisoners from Dunedin will also be sent there, and the necessary steps are now being taken. The transfer of the female prisoners from Lyttelton Prison will afford scope for instituting some degree of classification at that prison, and will enable better provision to be made for workshop accommodation. Long-sentence prisoners at Dunedin will be sent to Lyttelton. As far as possible prisoners under twenty-five years of age will be sent to Invercargill, which is kept up to its full capacity. Additional accommodation will be available very shortly, when further rearrangements may be possible. Some extra privileges with regard to letter-writing have been granted to well-behaved prisoners, and an alteration has also been made with regard to the paper used for prisoners' correspondence. The Prison Regulations require revision and amendment. This is an important matter, and new regulations are now being drafted. I regret to record the death during last year of Mr. S. G. Millington, Gaoler at Wellington. He had served the Department faithfully and well for thirty-three years, and his loss will be much felt. C. B. Jordan.

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