H.—2o

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Taking into consideration the amount of wet weather during the winter months a very creditable amount of work has been done. The rations have been of the very best quality, and regularly supplied. Divine service has been conducted monthly by the Rev. J. C. Abbott, of Raetihi. I am pleased to say that the officers of the present staff are carrying out their duties in n most excellent manner. WAIKERIA PRISON. Extracts from Gaoler's Report. The conduct of the prisoners, on the whole, has been very good. The health of the prisoners has been good. The conduct of the staff has been satisfactory. Divine service was conducted by ministers of various denominations from Te Awamutu, WAIPA PRISON. Extuacts from Gaoler's Report. The conduct of the prisoners has been very good, there being only one prisoner punished by the Visiting Justices for a minor prison offence. The health of the prisoners generally has been good. There were no escapes or attempted escapes during the year. The rations supplied by the contractors were of good quality. An abundance of vegetables has been supplied from the Prison garden. The surplus vegetables were sold, for which the sum of .£5B 16s. 3d. was received and paid to the Public Account. There were also sufficient potatoes grown to supply the Prison for the year. The conduct of the officers has been very good, and they have carried out their duties in a satisfactory manner. The prisoners have taken a great interest in their work, and I am satisfied that the conditions generally have been highly satisfactory from a reformative point of view. The buildings are in good repair, and the actual prison property is in good order. Divine service was held on the first Sunday of each month by a Church of England minister from Rotorua. The following are the details furnished by the Forestry Department of the work done by the prisoners during the year: Clearing for tree-planting, 139 acres; pits dug, 187,250; trees planted, 340,000; 520 chains of roads made; clearing growth amongst trees, and general maintenance work. WELLINGTON PRISON. Extracts from Gaoler's Report. Males and females suffering from the effects of drink were received for medical treatment. Year after year Gaolers from various parts of the Dominion havo been protesting against the practice of sending such persons to prison for treatment, but so far without result. Certainly a prison is not the proper place for the treatment of such unfortunates, the accommodation being quite unsuitable, the whole of the surroundings, in fact, having a tendency towards retarding their returning to a normal condition of mind. Provision should certainly be made elsewhere for such cases, as the present system is grossly unfair to all concerned. The quality of the food, supplied has been good, and there has been a total absence of complaints. There were no escapes or attempted escapes during the year. The health of the prisoners was, on the whole, uniformly good. Brickmaking is still being carried on at Mount Cook; bootmaking and gardening at the Terrace as usual; while at Point Halswell, in addition to the usual work for the Defence Department, tree-planting on quite a large scale is being carried out, with the result that in a few more years the appearance of the hills in that locality will be completely changed. Over 160,000 trees have already been planted, and are doing well. An additional 60,000 will be planted during the coming winter. During the year quite a number of valuable improvements have been put in hand, and while some of them have been completed some time will yet elapse before it will be possible to reap the full benefit. For over thirty years it had been the daily practice to march some 75 or 90 prisoners from the Terrace Prison to the Mount Cook Brickworks under the escort of an armed guard. In order to avoid this an unused brick building has been altered and added to in such a manner as to provide really good accommodation for 41 prisoners and the necessary officers. The building is now occupied, and the marching of prisoners through the streets has ceased. Sunday services have been held as usual by representatives of the various denominations. First Offenders' Probation Act. At the beginning of the year there were 11 males and 1 female on probation, exclusive of those'released under the provisions of the Crimes Amendment Act. Admitted at the Wellington Courts during the year, 20 males and no females; completed terms of probation or otherwise finally dealt with, 5 males and 1 female; transferred to other districts, 17 males; absconded, 1 male : leaving a balance of 8 males on the register at the end of the year. I have to thank the Police Department for every assistance in the matter of locating probationers not complying with the conditions of their release, thus materially lightening my duties as Probation Officer.