ALTERNATIVE TO GAOL

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31113, 16 July 1966, Page 1

ALTERNATIVE TO GAOL

Justice Dept’s Suggestion (From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 15. A recommendation that convicted persons should be given an opportunity to serve society rather than suffer a term of imprisonment is contained in the annual report of the Justice Department, tabled in Parliament today. The report also suggests that the success of the periodic detention centres at Auckland, Hutt, Christchurch and Invercargill has been such that sentence to a work centre might with advantage be extended to certain adult male offenders.

“Imprisonment is an expensive, wasteful, and cumbersome method of punishment,” said the report. “Imprisonment is costly to the taxpayer in terms of staff, buildings, food, clothing, and equipment. It is wasteful in terms of lost manpower which is of such vital need to a developing country. It is cumbersome because it compresses into a single mould a wide variety of individuals whose offending stems from an equally wide variety of causes. “While imprisonment is necessary for those whose freedom represents a menace to the community, many offenders could be dealt with just as effectively without locks and bars. Indeed, their I punishment could have a I positive benefit to society.

“It has been suggested that the courts should be empowered to give offenders the choice of imprisonment or taking for a specified period some stated public employment. This could involve the offender working in some unpopular, remote, or uncongenial position which is, nevertheless, of national importance and value. Many such avenues of work are available.

“Instead of spending time in an institution at some, unimportant and unproductive task while the State provides for his dependents, and the offender would remain a working member of society, responsible for his own and his family’s support, paying his taxes, and free to manage his own affairs provided he obeyed the court's direction. Failure to do so would, of course, bring into effect the suspended sentence of imprisonment. “The advantages of such a scheme are four-fold: “(1) It would relieve the State of the burden of sup-

“(4) It would enable the courts to impose employment conditions suited to the severity of the offence and the personal circumstances and character of the individual. For example, if a court considered the offender should be removed from his present surroundings he could be directed to work in an area away from his home. [The feckless, self-indulgent 'individual could be directed Ito employment that is hard I and rigorous."

porting many prisoners and dependents, simply to exact punishment. “(2) It avoids the likelihood of further criminal contamination by keeping the offender in the community. “(3) It offers the offender opportunity to make reparation for his wrong-doing in a constructive form of national service.