Ending of jail lessons regretted

Press, 3 September 1981, Page 20

Ending of jail lessons regretted

The Minister of Justice (Mr McLay) should be told that the Christchurch City Council regretted policy changes that meant fewer educational and counselling activities at Rolleston Prison, said the council's community services committee yesterday. After a Government directive earlier this year, education officers were withdrawn from corrective training centres, including the prison's Corrective Training Institution. The Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women told the City Council that all group densities during the day wen- cancelled, and social skills learning programmes were abandoned. Trainees lacked commit-

ment to the new programme, which lacked incentives. The council’s CommunityAdviser, Mr J. R. L. Fry, told the committee that similar strong criticism had come from several responsible persons and groups in Christchurch over the last few weeks. Mr McLay had said that short, sharp, punitive sentences would allow little scope for educational or counselling activities. National Council of Women submissions said the aim of reducing reoffending was good, but the directive did not have much hope of achieving that aim. Rolleston personnel had felt there were positive signs of success in the former programme.