Alternatives to Borstal sought

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33251, 14 June 1973, Page 3

Alternatives to Borstal sought

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 13. Courts should be given a wider variety of sentences for girl offenders, the Arohata Borstal Parole Board suggests in its annual report, tabled in Parliament today.

There was scope for a sentence which could be imposed without having to remove a girl completely from I the community. Many girls | were in Borstal because there was no alternative. The board said that the purpose of Borstal was to try to change the girl, or at least give her the opportunity to change. “If Borstal could be restricted to girls in the 15 to 17J age group it could be that the young offender is then separated from the more persistent offender, who could possibly have a detrimental influence on the younger girl, and impede the educational worth of the in-1 Istitution,” the board said. “The courts could with confidence then sentence the girl to Borstal training, know-: ing that the vounger and immature offender has a greater! possibility of learning social; Training to let her achieve

maturity and learn some socially approved form of role without being contaminated bv her more sophisticated voider sisters.” It appeared that in some cases the sentence of Borstal] training had been misused ini the past, “but only because! of the lack of suitable alternatives for punishment of female offenders under the age! of 21,” the board said. The Invercargill, Waipiata and Wanganui Borstal Parole Boards suggested that a more selective form of detention was needed when one considered the rate of recidivism and lack of response to training. “The standards and atti-j jtudes of young offenders: today are much different! from those prevailing when! [the Prevention of Crime (Bor-1 stal Institutions Establish-! ment) Act, 1924, was passed/ !and the time mav well have! ! arrived when the legislation could usefully be reviewed.”!