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The Inspector of Prisons to the Under-Secretary for Justice Sir, — Department of Justice (Prisons Branch), 29th June, 1912. I have the honour to forward my report for the year ended 31st December, 1911. The number of persons in custody in the prisons of the Dominion at the beginning of 1911 was 881 (males, 801; females, 80), and at the end 873 (m., 812; f., 61). The number at the beginning of the previous year was 949 (m., 882; f., 67). The daily average of prisoners was 863-26 (m. 799-08; f., 64-18). Classified according to length of sentence or nature of custody, the above were distributed as follows : —

The Crimes Amendment Act, 1910, having come into operation in 1911, a new element was introduced, that of prisoners undergoing reformative treatment, which in a large measure destroys the comparison in detail of the statistics of the year under review with those of previous years. Comparing the numbers at January, 1910 and 1911, it will be seen that the reduction among ordinary prisoners has been more pronounced in those with longer sentences. The 9 additional habitual criminals—their residue must necessarily be an increasing factor —had they been treated as ordinary prisoners, would in all probability have been serving long hard-labour sentences; and" though a few of the habitual criminals carried over from the previous year may have completed an ordinary sentence and been discharged, the probabilities are in the direction of the majority being in the longer-sentence hard-labour class. Be that as it may, there were 68 fewer persons in custodj* at the end than at the beginning of 1910, and 8 fewer at the end of 1911. The above table must not be taken as giving a measure of the changes in the prison population throughout the 3 - ear, but accepted simply as a statement of the number of prisoners classified according to sentence at given dates. The totals at the beginning and end of 1911 are practically equal, but the details are rearranged showing a reduction of 25, 58, and 54 respectively in each of the hardlabour classes. The difference is accounted for in part by the larger number in custody awaiting trial or on remand, in part to prisoners transferred to the class of habitual criminals on the completion of the head sentence, but mainly to the provisions of the Crimes Amendment Act, 1910, which made it possible to sentence prisoners to reformative treatment with or without head sentences. A reference to Table G in the appendix shows that while in this class in 68 instances the prisoners received no original or head sentence, in a number of cases the head sentence was of short duration, with the result that at the end of the year, allowing for 7 discharges during the year, there were 81 (Maori prisoners not included) classed as receiving reformative treatment. Considering the specific crime and the character and antecedents of a number of those receiving reformative treatment, it may be presumed safely that under previous conditions a fair proportion would have been sentenced to hard labour for a year or upwards, and that the statistical ratio of the classification would have been maintained. The numerical relation of the different hardlabour classes at a given date shows an increasing number in custody as the sentence increases up to the year-and-over class—a condition of affairs which is reversed if the total number of admissions during the year be enumerated. In an enumeration of receptions the prisoner, especially if he belongs to the in-and-out section serving comparatively short terms, may be counted more than once. In this connection it may be noted that the more the Reformatory Institutions Act, 1909, is taken advantage of, the greater relatively should be the reduction of the shorter sentences of imprisonment to which the class of persons segregated under that Act are liable. Certain habitual criminals and persons sentenced to reformative treatment, being placed beyond mischief for a considerable period, are also excluded from contributing their quota.

1st January, 1910. 1st January, 1911. 31st December, 1911. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. Sentenced to simple imprisonment Sentenced to hard labour, under three months .. Sentenced to hard labour, three months and 1 under twelve Sentenced to hard labour, one year and upwards Habitual criminals Criminals receiving reformative treatment In custody waiting trial or on remand Debtors and persons of unsound mind 11 106 199 1 16 28 12 122 227 10 110 167 16 31 10 126 198 12 95 120 6 20 12 101 140 499 15 49 3 17 4 1 516 19 50 3 452 26 35 1 29 2 2 481 28 37 1 400 39 80 65 1 27 2 1 5 427 4.1 81 70 1 Total in custody 882 67 949 801 80 881 ! ! 812 61 873