DOWNWARD TREND

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20010, 19 August 1930, Page 7

DOWNWARD TREND

CRIME IN NEW ZEALAND. REPORT OF PRISONS DEPARTMENT. [THB PRES3 Special Service.] WELLINGTON, August 18. The daily average number of prisoners in custody throughout New Zealand during the year ended March 31st, 1930, totalled 1438.26 or 61 fewer than the previous year, according to the annual report of the Prisons Department, which was presented to Parliament to-day. Commenting on the prison popular t'.on, the Controller-General, Mr b. L. Dallard, says that notwithstanding the depressed industrial and economic conditions which undoubtedly had an effect on the amount of crime, the sLght downward trend had been maintained. The number in detention at the end ot the year was 1395. There were 5165 discharges or transfers and 5076 received during the period. The statistics reveal a slight increase in the number of offences against the person and a small decrease in the number of offences against property. Under the heading miscellaneous offences, there lias been a small increase. The number of commitments to prison for drunkenness was 426 (1929) as compared with 412 for 1928. A slight increase in the number sentenced to imprisonment lor vagrancy is also noticed. Of the total number of 2596 distinct l>ersons received into custody during 1929—1460 males and 96 females —a total of 1556 were New Zealand born as compared with 1538 for the previous year The increase in the number of New Zealand born women received into custody over the previous year was 11, the total being 96 as compared with 85. This increase is attributable mainly to uic growth in the number of women committed for vagrancy, 51 as against 37 The total number of women prisoners in 1929 was 121 as compared with 117 in 1928.. Thirty-four per cent, of the total number of persons committed to prison were for terms of less than one month, 58 per cent, for terms of less than three months, and 73 per cent, or approximately three-fourths of the total number sentenced to imprisonment were for terms of less than six months. Although the total number of new receptions for the past year was 4357, this represents only 2590 distinct persons. It is pleasing to be able again to record that the sentence of capital punishment was not required to be given effect to during the year, making the fifth year in succession in which the Department has been free from this un pleasant duty. One prisoner was sentenced to death, but this sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life. No prisoners were flogged during the year. Record Revenue. The revenue earned from prisons Industries established a record in spite of bad economic conditions. The total cash receipts were £83,806, out of which there was a cash surplus of £41.295. The net cost on the Consolidated Fund was £62 0s Id per prisoner for the year, representing an increase of £2 10s. The report of the chief probation officer says that in the great majority of cases those admitted to probation have justified the clemency extended, and with a few exceptions have satisfactorily complied with the conditions of their probation. There were 1886 cases dealt with during the year, made Up of 708 new admissions and 1178 on the books at the commencement of the. year. Of the total number dealt with only 161, or a fraction over 8 per cent., failed to conform with the conditions imposed upon them by the Court.