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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 64, 22 April 1914, Page 6

It is unnecessary to become facetioxis over the -fact that at the Camp Hill Preventive. Detention Prison (Eng.) privileged prisoners are having erected for their use two-roomed bungalows, with garden allotments attached. The proceeds of the sale of the garden produce are to be credited to the prisoners. The world, or that part of it specially tnterested in penology, has c6me to recognise that there was something violently amiss with the old system, Which, while it punished, failed to' do any tiling more than simply enforce penalties. This was especially severe on that class of criminal who is only criminal by accident or force of circumstance. However, departments of justice in' various countries have left that vicious idea behind, and are interesting themselves in the prevention of crime arid the rehabilitation of those who are not criminal by instinct or breeding. New Zealand has its prison farms and plantations, where offenders, instead of as formerly being subjected to the brutalising environment' of ordinary stone walls and prison labour, may have an opportunity of working out a spiritual as well as a physical salvation in the open. The old idea that there could be no distinction in the eyes of ; 'tReALaW as between first offenders and confirmed criminals has gone by the b'oand. Care is taken these days to see thats'£he two classes must not be closely associated for fear of contamination ensuing. In certain American States are women police for the apprehension of unhappy women, and in Melbourne the j female offenders are attended by women officials. Maybe the time is not far off w T hen the penalising of the wife and family of a criminal by his tion will be removed by allpwing the individual, while the compulsory guest of the State, to earn a little, money gaol—the result of his prison, labours. Labour outside would object, • but Labour is sometimes open to: conviction. However, ihe bright aspect of the whole question is that penologists . are concentrating their efforts on keeping men and women out of gaol —a social work worthy of general support.