PRISON POPULATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 204, 29 August 1928, Page 8

PRISON POPULATION.

UNEMPLOYMENT AND CRIME.

HIGH RATE MAINTAINED.

FEWER WOMEN COMMITTED,

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

The annual report of the Prisons Department is a voluminous paper, crammed with statistics, but an outstanding fact is revealed in an introductory paragraph, stating that the ratio of the number to the general population is still higher than it was prior to the period of industrial depression which set in during tlie immediate post-war years. The correlation between adverse economic conditions and crime, particularly with reference to offences against property, is most marked. There is no doubt that unemployment was a contributing factor. It is generally agreed (states the report) that steady work makes for morals. During the year there were 4664 committals to the various prisons and institutions, or 64 more than in the previous year. There was, however, a small decrease in the number of distinct persons committed. More Youths Convicted. There has been an increase in the number of distinct offenders committed under the age of 21, the number being 225, as compared with 219 in the previous twelve months. The majority of these committals were for offences against property, 130 being for theft and deceit. Of these young offenders 100 were New Zealand-born. Of the total number of persons committed just under 58 per cent were born in the Dominion. Nearly three-quarters of the persons committed to prison were sentenced to terms of less than six months, for fairly venial offences. Fewer women were committed last year, especially women of New Zealand birth. The majority of the women committed were convicted of vagrancy, but there was a marked decrease in women's offences for drunkenness, the figures falling from 31 to 16. It is symptomatic of prevailing economic conditions that the number of debtors sent to prison again shows an increase. Of escapees during the year only one was not recaptured. The report states that during the past year,, although an unusual number of prisoners were found on admission to lie suffering from venereal disease, necessitating tlie establishment of a special clinic, only two were required to be detained beyond the period of their sentence until thev were cured.