WORK IN THE PRISONS

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16270, 22 July 1918, Page 4

WORK IN THE PRISONS

YEAR'S EARNINGS £43,000.

Figures given by the Minister for Justice showing that the value of useful work done by prisoners is now ais , the rate of £13,000"a year, or slightly over half the total cost of the Prisons Department, £81,000. Mr Wilford said that the cash credits from various departments of State, in respect to pri-. poners' work, was £15,083 for the year 1917-18. The improvements effected by prisoners at Waikeria and Paparua were valued at £3645, while boots and slippers made by prisoners for officials and prisoners were valued at £1283. The value of domestic work done by prisoners was about £5000, making a total of £13.261 in the yesy, and giving an increase of £4000 "over the figures of any previous year. The prison operations, he said, now included the making of bricks and concrete tiles, and other articles in concrete, bootmaking, farming, dairying, iree-j>lanting, stone-dressing, and roadraaking. The concrete tiles were supplied for roofing to State Departments, : which were unable to obtain galvanised iron. The farm at Waikeria. comprised a boat 1200 acres, bought at £1 an acre, and improvements made by prisoners would make this land worth £17 or £13 jan acre eventually. He would favour > a move, ultimately, to another locality i which oould be similarly improved for } settlement by free men. Thus prison ■ labour would serve to make rough places smooth for the frc-e.