PRISON REFORM.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13830, 6 September 1910, Page 9

PRISON REFORM.

DRASTIC PROPOSALS IN ENGLAND.

(FROM Ot'R OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, July 22. On Wednesday, in the House of Commons, the Homo Secretary (Mr Winston Churchill) made an important statement at the close of a debate on tho report of the Homo Office vote foreshadowing drastic changes in our prison rule. It is evident that during the short time ho has held that office ho has boon devoting special attention to tho prison system. Somo of the changes are to come into force at once, others are to be the subject of future legislation. The chief points are tho following: — 1. In the autumn a Bill will be submitted compelling magistrates to alloAv prisoners a fair opportunity of raising money to pay fines instead of going to gaol. Last year this reform would have affected 90,000 offenders, many of them first offenders, quite outside the usual criminal class. At Wandsworth Prison, for instance, out of 138 persons admitted in a week at least forty could have paid their fines if the Bench had allowed time, and twenty-five ought to have been treated as probationers. The action of magistrates in deliberately ignoring repeated circulars from the Homo Office' is to be over-ruled by Statute.

2. The Children Act has abolished crime in the ordinary sense for jersons under sixteen years of age. Between that ago and twenty-one no person is to be sent to prison unless ho be guilty of really grave crime, but instead of prison there trill be, if Parlinmont agrees, a system of drill, quite apart from either the prison or military regime. Legislation is to be proposed nest year. 3. For political offenders, including Passive Resisters and the Suffragettes, tlm .following privileges will be allowed: — (a) Prison clothes need not bo worn. - (b) there will be no 'compulsory bath, no. search, no hair-cutting or shay- . ins, and ho cell \ci?,anipg;.----* . (o) First division foot} will be permitted, and it may bo supplied from outside. (d) Free exercise, with right of conversation, will be permitted twice a day; also visits from friends, and books not dealing with current events. These reforms will come into force at once. 4. Periods of solitary confinement to be reduced to one month in aIL cases except those oi convicts who return again nnd again to penal servitude. 3. A small grant by the Treasury will enable the authorities to provide- four lectures or concerts to be delivered each year in evqry prison. 6. Ticket-of-leave is to be abolished. A central authority will co-ordinato various prisoners' aid societies, to which all released prisoners will be referred. A Treasury grant of £7500 has been arranged. 7. At the Accession pro rata remissions of sentences benefited 11,000 prisoners, the cumulative reduction being tSOO years. . '8. The Prevention of Crime Act dealing with habitnnl offenders ha» to some extent broken down. The right of applying for euch long sentences will oc removed from the 188 police authorities ■whoso action has varied unduly. Mr Churchill evidently regards the Act with great suspicion.

The speech created a favourable im•prossion. The "Daily JSxpress," which is a strong Opposition journal, says:— "'Hie Home Secretary is marking his new' Appointment by proceeding at onco to tear up, root and branch, some <m the most distinguishing characteristics of our prison system. His speech was a broad, humanitarian exposition of the blots on our judicial system whioh ought to have Wen cleared away years ago, and his reforms are first in the direction of keeping the man or the youth .guilty of a single lapse out of prison whenever prssiblo, and then ot giving the released prisoner a chance Ui become a respectable member of society again."

'"The Daily Chronicle , ' observes.: — "The House Hstcnfxl with deep attention a s Mr Churchill unfolded his scheme of reform. At the close of his speech, which concluded with tho fine phrase:—'There is a treasure if we could only find it in the- heart of every man,' there was prolonged applanso. '' Tho "Morning Wat" notes that the speech wa.s listened to with evident interest.