Profile Of Prison Escaper

Press, Volume C, Issue 29699, 18 December 1961, Page 14

Profile Of Prison Escaper

Neto Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 17. The "typical” escaper from a New Zealand prison jr Borstal is very unlikely to commit any kind of assault while he is at liberty. This is shown in a Justice Department report on escapes in the five years from 1954 to 1958 The report says the words "escaped prisoner” may automatically conjure up in the public mind an “alarming vision of a dangerous madman on the loose” But only one of the 173 male escapers in the five years committed an assault while he was at liberty The survey also shows that none of the escapers attacked or attempted to attack anyone while they were escaping, although one threatened to when he was being recaptured by the police The survey was conducted by Professor Albert Morris, of Boston University, who was in New Zealand as a Fulbright research scholar In 1959 and 1960. Tne linister of Justice (Mr Hanan), in a foreword to the survey, says: "I hope this I will be the first of a series of projects which will be valuable in assessing the results of our penal practices, and which will give more reliable data on which to mould mture policy ” The survey covered all male Borstal inmates and 0.-isone-s serving sentences of more than three months who escaped from Justice Department custody from 1954 to 1958 Of the 173 escapers. 16 escaped twice and three escaped three times, making a total of 195 esesnea There were 122 Borstal escapers Only three of the 173 escapers had not been located or arrested at the end erf .he five years Tl»e ease histories of the 173 who escaped were compared with a similar number of prisoners in the period in an effort to find why the men escaped It was also aimed al trving to produce a simple index predicting a prisoner’s liability to escape which might help in mini-

raising escapes. The report says the survey was unsuccessful in this last aim, largely because existing information was inadequate for making fine distinctions between escapers .and non-eacapers Composite Description But the survey gives a composite description of a "typical” escaper based on statistical tables compiled from the case histories of the 173 It shows the “typical” escaper is likely to be about 18. single, serving a sentence of Borstal training, a European New Zealander, of about normal intelligence He inay have gone to secondary school but is unlikely to have completed the fourth form He is quite Likely to have been brought up la a smaller community than the four main centres, and to have committed his present offence in a town of similar size. If he was brought up in one of the main centres, he probably retrained there He was in an unskilled occupation before his sentence. He has probably had at least two previous convictions, but no previous institutional sentence of longer than six months. His offence was probably a property offence, such as theft, breaking and entering, or car conversion His most previous aggressive offence was probably also a property offence His record is unlikely to Include crimes of violence. He has probably not escaped from custody before. In the institution he probably appears sulky or defiant; looks unhappy; is not very co-operative; usually formal disciplinary Action, although he is more likely than the non-escaper to get into trouble: has difllcul- . social relationships: tends to withdraw from people: is immature, unsettled and irresponsible. His personality does not attract much favourable comment in official report. The survey shows the

"typical" escaper is likely to escape after serving about four months of his sentence and before the Parole Board has had a chance to consider his case. If he is at Invercargill Bortal, he is unlikely to escape during the weekend, but may favour a Monday. If he is at Waikeria. he may pick Sunday or Wednesday He is likely to escape about 3 p.m.' from the farm or from some other outside working party where the supervision is less strict. He progably goes off in company with at least one other inmate.

The chances are about even that he will convert a vehicle oi make his way on foot If he is on foot, he will probably not get more than 10 miles away, and is quite likely to be caught within 24 hours.

If he has a vehicle, it may be several days before he is caught, and during this time he may get more than 100 miler away. If he is on foot, he is not likely to commit offences while he is at liberty, but if he has transport he probably commits several and is more likely to do so the longer he stay 3 at large. His offences are most likely to be car conversion, breaking and entering and theft of such items as petrol, clothes and food.

“He is very unlikely to commit any kind of assault.” the report adds. .The su BKested causes of the 195 escapes are:— Influence by other inmates (suggestion, persuasion or ridicule). 16; fear of hostility num other inmates, five; domestic worries, nine; sense of injustice over his case or resentment of staff actions towards him. one; dissatisfaction with work or placement in institution, six; other, five; unknown, Ml. Export Meat Prices Export meat schedules which will operate in the South Island this week are unchanged.' it was stated in Christchurch last evening.