PARDON FOR FIRST OFFENDERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 128, 31 May 1901, Page 2

PARDON FOR FIRST OFFENDERS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —A short time ago I "was delighted to see in your valuable columns several letters with regards to first offenders, and that the Right Hon. the Premier, with liis usual sympathy and consideration, intends to release- a great number of prisoners -in honour of the accession of our King. This, lam sure, should be approved by every man and woman throughout the colony. It is a fact generally known that leniency instead of excessive punishment lessens crime considerably, whereas long sentences do the prisoners more harm than good, and tend to further deteriorate and reduce first offenders to habitual criminals. A short sentence would have taught the desired lesson to many first offenders now in our prisons.

This, I may add, is a fact fully recognised by our most eminent Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, and our worthy Premier. There is much less crime of a dangerous character in this colony than in any other part of the Empire, and I understand from the best authority that there are a large number of -first offenders to "whom liberty will mean restoration of good and useful citizenship. We are all only human beings: none of us are faultless. 1 would suggest, as several others have through ' your paper, that no more suitable time could possibly be chosen than the visit to our colonies of our future King and Queen, their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York and Cornwall.—l am, etc.,

ANOTHER ANXIOUS MOTHEK