FEWER PRISON INMATES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21865, 19 August 1936, Page 12

FEWER PRISON INMATES

j : Continued Decrease Noted “NO ORGANISED CRIME j i IN DOMINION” fFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.] P WELLINGTON, August 18. Outstanding features of the report of the Prisons Department 'or the year 1935-36, which was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day, include indications of a continued decline in the Dominion’s prison population and the number committed to prison, and a marked improvement in the revenue earned through the use of prison labour in a practical system of | occupational training. The report is submitted by the Controller-General, I Mr B. L. Dailard. “It is satisfactory to j observe,” states the report, “that the decline in the number of commitments to prison recorded last year has progressed still further, the total commitments during the year under review being 370 fewer than in the previous year. Since 1931 the decrease in the prison population has been 34 per cent, and the numbers continue to diminish. The daily average number in custody, namely 1212, is the lowest for many years.

‘’Although the public conscience from time to time is shocked by reports of some isolated homidical case or other grave crime, New Zealand is fortunate in having no criminal gangs which prey on the community- with an utter disregard for the sanctity of human life. It can _be said that there is no organised crime in the Dominion, and there is no doubt that this can be ascribed to the courts in New Zealand dealing promptly with any manifestation of the tendency to crimes of violence. Review of Offences The report expresses satisfaction that the number of imprlsc. unents for offences aghast property has continued to diminish, but comments that a less satisfactory feature is a small increase in the number of offences against persons, particularly of a sexual nature, A table showing the nationality of prisoners indicates that the decline in‘the number oi New Zealand-born offenders has been steadily maintained. There was a slight increase in the number of Maori offenders, and consideration is recommended or the establishment of a separate training institution “on somewhat more rigorous lines than the Borstal institutions," where younger Maori offenders could be taught efficient farming methods and at the same time be subjected to socialising influences. The report mentions the incident at Mount Eden prison on Anzac Day, which "is described as “combined insubordination on the part of a group of prisoners.” . ~, ~ Dealing with Borstal institutions, the report stales that the number committed to them last year was 115—9/ youths and 18 girls—and 38 were transferred from other institutions. Of me total of 5033 youths who had T passed through the Invercargill and Waikena institutions singe they were established. only 18 per cen had been again convicted, the percentage of S'rls again convicted being 11 per cent, ply 5.7 par cent, of the total of 2158 persons who were received into panai institutions during 1935 had previa ously been in a Borstal institution, “The general, improvement m economic conditions has been reflected in an improvement in the various industries carried on bv the department, the report states. The revenue fur the year from the sale of farm produce, quarry metal and other activities Ck r elusive of the values of commodities used for domestic consumption, amounted to £69,933, which represented a gross revenue gam of 15 per cent. The diminished number Of inmates accounted for the reduction. of expenditure, the net expenditure pslns the lowest recorded for 10 y vs.