OUR PRISON SYSTEM.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12509, 23 May 1906, Page 5

OUR PRISON SYSTEM.

» (special to "th* rsiss.") . WELLINGTON, May 22. Both the Minister for Justice and the Inspector of Prisons state that there is *iot the least occasion for the New South Wales Comptroller of Prisons to oondemn the New Zealand system of employing prison gan@s at tree planting. Mr McGowan states that tho open air life the prisoners lead is a very healthy one, and the prisoners enjoyed it, but the discipline at tho camps was as strict as in the case of a city pri.-on. The prisoners were not allowed to associate with outsiders, and no one was allowed to visit a camp unle«s with a written authority. Colonel Hume says the Comptroller of Prisons in New Soutfi Wales was evidently condemning the New Zealand sys-fern of allowing four priscn-cTB to occupy a hut with a warder in charge of thera. Tlie Sydney Comptroller held ihat if prisoners were put to tr<:-e planting they should be kept apart from each other. Colonel Huiw, however, states that the practice followed iv New Zealand is working well;