Reformation Community Task

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30176, 6 July 1963, Page 12

Reformation Community Task

(N.Z Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 5. “The basic principle behind pur assault on the problem of the young offender is that reformation and retraining cannot be done in a vacuum —it must be done as far as possible in and through the community,” said the annual report of the Department of Justice tabled in Parliament today “Many offenders are antisocial and anti-authority in outlook. Indeed, this is often deeply ingrained “True reformation can be achieved only when the young offender can be brought to recognise that he is a member of the community with - all the obligations that membership entails. “A penal policy for youth should rely heavily on the community, and on the resources within the community. As far as possible, it should keep offenders within the community, avoiding the artificial life of the penal institution.” The report said the statutory parole that now followed a sentence of borstal training or detention in a detention centre was often ineffective because it was misunderstood, misinterpreted and resented by inmates as a sort of additional punishment imposed by the administration. “There is a great need to make this time spent on

parole after release more meaningful,” said the report “In an attempt >to achieve this, we have asked the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society to sponsor a scheme of honorary advisers to help in the rehabilitation of youthful offenders A pilot scheme has been launched in the Hamilton area and applied to young inmates of Waikeria youth centre who would be released to settle in the Wgikato and Bay of Plenty areas.” Motor Taxation Receipts from motor taxation, excluding drivers’ licence fees. amounted to £26.147.000 for the year ended March 31, 1963 This was an increase of 1.4 per cent, on the figure for the previous year, according to the annual report of the Transport Department. Of the £26,147,000, £2.189.000 represented special taxation on petrol and other fuel paid to the’ Consolidated Fund, the balance. £23.958.000. being credited to the National Roads Fund. Vehicle Licensing New Zealand had 1.005.023 licensed motor-vehicles, including trailers, on March 31 1963 This was a 45 per cent increase in the year, says the annual report of the Transport Department

If trailers are excluded, the number of motor-vehicles was 866,289. or one motorvehicle to every 34 persons Becaqse of widely varying definitions of the term "niotor-vehicle,” comparison.! on an international basis are not completely valid, but. as far as is known. New Zealand’s ratio of motor-vehioles a head of population is one of the highest in the world, and probably is exceeded only by the United States and Canada Child Safety Road traffic instruction classes were conducted for 30,500 groups of children in 1962 Children of all ages, from kindergarten to secondary school, were taught the rudiments of traffic safety The department increased its instruction corps to 47 to cope with this work, says the Transport Department’s annual report. There are now 432 school patrols operated by 5728 pupils. 2094 bus wardens. 2980 traffic wardens, and 647 cycle wardens. The department’s instructors inspected 109,110 bicycles at schools during the year. Of these 41 per cent required attention, and 4 per cent, were found unsafe to ride.

The number of children under school age who were killed as pedestrians fell from 11 in 1961 to eight in