PRE-RELEASE CENTRES FOR BORSTAL BOYS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29480, 5 April 1961, Page 14

PRE-RELEASE CENTRES FOR BORSTAL BOYS

"The Press” Special Service

WELLINGTON, April 4. Further attempts are to be made by the Government to institute pre-release centres for Borstal trainees. A proposal will shortly be placed before the works committee of the Cabinet for the purchase of a suitable property in Invercargill. In 1959 the Government bought a property in Auckland for this purpose but after protests from nearby residents the idea was dropped by the Labour Government. The house is still owned by the Government. The defeat of the proposal was ascribed by the then Secretary for Justice ,(Mr S. T. Barnett) to poor public relations but, in his 1960 report to Parliament, he said: "What is certain is that they (pre-release centres) will eventually come to pass because the community will see the elementary good sense in having them. “It remains a question,” he said, “whether Church organisations should be encouraged to establish these hostels. That would at least remove the problem from the realms of controversy." A more careful regard for good public relations is believed to be behind the selection of Invercargill as the location of the proposed new pre-release centre.

Not only is it close to the Invercargill Borstal, but it is in the constituency of the Minister of Justice. Mr Hanan. This fact is calculated to became a good “selling point” when at some later stage the Government will wish to extend the prerelease centres to other cities, notably Auckland. Extremely Keen The Justice Department is extremely keen to see these centres established to help adjust Borstal trainees in the transition from institutional life to free and responsible living in a normal community. The department believes that finding a job, seeking lodgings, getting to know the probation officer and preparing for leisure-time activities are all important and that it is important to be living on the spot when arranging these matters. It is understood that the Government will closely investigate the possibility, as Mr Barnett suggested, of interesting churches in at least some part of the management o* pre-release centres in an effort to overcome public opposition.