FEWER PRISONERS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21450, 16 April 1935, Page 12

FEWER PRISONERS

MINISTER QUOTES FIGURES (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, April 15. The oft-expressed opinion that crime increases in most countries during times of industrial depression does not apply to New Zealand, as is shown by some comparative figures quoted by the Minister for Justice, the Hon. J, G. Cobbe, in giving the population of the Dominion's prisons for the last four years. Mr Cobbe showed that there had been a decline in the daily average number of prisoners in custody as follows: Year Number 1931 .. 1(534 1932 .. 1669 1933 .. 1542 1934 .. 1360 The Minister also said that dur-' ing the last six months there had been a decided decline in the number of committals to prisons and to borstal institutions. The number was still steadily decreasing, and the number in custody on the last Saturday in March of this year was 1217, as compared with 1439 at the same time in 1934, 1580 in 1933, and l fi 4s in 1932. "It is difficult to ascribe any individual cause for this reduction," said Mr Cobbe. "but il is remarkable in that the experience of most cuuntries is for crime to increase during times of industrial depression. There is no doubt that the drafting of men to unemployed camps, and better arrangements for the after care of discharged prisoners in preventing relapses, have been helpful factors.