Work camps scheme

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 3

Work camps scheme

(Neu) Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 19. Youths who commit gang offences and other acts of hooliganism could find themselves sentenced to up to six I months “corrective discipline” in remote work camps, employed in such j tasks as scrub cutting and tussock clearing.

The Minister of Justice (Dr Finlay) said' today that the Cabinet ihad directed him to inivestigate a scheme aimed at offenders in the 15 to 20-year age group. “As a Government, we are .most anxious to see that courts have available the kind of remedy that we believe the country demands for gang activities and other acts of hooliganism,” said Dr Finlay. He envisaged that there would be two defined sentences of three and six months, which would fall be- i tween periodic detention and Borstal training. i The Army and other de- i partments will be asked if ■ they have buildings available i which could be used for the scheme. i Dr Finlay said that details < still had to be worked out I and a decision to implement i such a scheme would depend i on investigations, but the <

I Government was anxious to jget things moving as quickly ias possible. Much would depend on the I availability of staff to man I the institutions, Dr Finlay said. The staff would be members of the Prison Service. ' Dr Finlay said that there was a “deep-seated public I demand” for something to be done about gangs of youths. Attacks on the police were causing particular concern. “Every week-end, it seems, brings a crop of offences,” he said. “NO PICNIC PLACES” The residential centres would be no picnic places. Dr Finlay said, and there would be clear and maintained discipline. The decision arose from a paper Dr Finlay presented to the Cabinet on young offenders. He would not disclose the contents of the paper. Dr Finlay 7 said the Government also wanted to reexamine the whole concept of Borstal training. It had come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, and people were questioning its results.