A PRISON CAMP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 202, 20 May 1908, Page 7

A PRISON CAMP.

LIFE AT WAIOTAPU. RESULTS Op A REPORTER'S INQUIRIES THE RECENT ESCAPES. (BT.TELEGBATH.— SPECIAL CopEESBONDBNT.)' Auckland, May 19. • The Waiotapu Prison Cairip has beon \ visited by a representative of tho ''Herald," and Mr. Roberts, officer ill charge, was interviewed. ' Ho stated that there wpro fifty' prisoners at tho camp uudpr t'pe control of six wartlers, who were ex]}prie|]pefj men. Tliero woro also two forester warders from .tho Forestry Department superintpnding thq planting operations. The biilk of tho prisoners gave singularly littlo trouble, and' wero " carefully selected." Tho camps, ha ; said, wero absolutely safe and useful insti-; tutions. Tho total number of escapees, it; was stated; during the last three years -was' nine, and 110110 had evaded capturo for mora than a few days except the man Usher, who" is still at large.-., \ 'Nearly.all the prisoners \ylio broke from , tho camp were of the cljiss not really eligiblo for tho camp system. From was learned, criminals have evidently been sent to'Wiaotapn from all part's of the Bajninion, and ?ome havo been sent tliero lyho should never hav© left gaol. Tho systcn}, j}iylp>r wluch thoso planting camps is.run is not framed to deal with desperate characters, and the offi- . cials responsible for sending the wrong class • of men do 'much harm to tho whole idea of roform. In many instances there is only one warder, in charge of ten to fifteen men out on. a wild hillside. The prisoners arc armed with- spades, flashers, and mattocks, while the, warder, is totally Owing to-. the insufficiency of warders, no night .watoh is. kept -pter the prisoners; They 1 are -locked •ill' their huts at- 7.30 p.m.,' and . left un-. . , guarded until G o'clock next morning. The" huts are by no means prison cel}s, and could bo easily broken. ; Thus; the prisojiprs might. ' ■ leave the huts during the night, and return /without ibeing seen. Most of the iqon .who havo-broken camp at Waiotapu gave no indication'oft.aril intention- to reform .wlylst m prison,' and were'ijiost troublesome'eyen in » the large gaols, and some could. oi)ly bp dealt with by.solitary confinement. '

One of tho leaders in tho Mount Eden gaol : riots was: sent to ! Waiotapu, and his case. I : illustrates the necessity of .a night guard.?.. He pimply opened the window of his hut, -? climbed out 'during tlio night, .broke into the /Waiotapu 1 Hotel, was fired at, fled back to the camp, and rerent'ercd'.his hut.by? the; window?without being observed. ■••• j ' jl-.V ' Smith, who jumped from tho Rotorua ex-• press: 011 Friday, was, being returned, to :, MountiEdoii gaol at the request'.of the officer?'! in charge,'. Mr. Roberts, wlio did not consider it; 'advisable''to' attempt to keep him in the - ? aI! U>. .? : ? Men under', sentepiie.for miirtjer, '.for. . glarjv and' other serious offences lifive been sent .to Waiotapuj'"and : 'it. seemp as- if. some ' of the gaols have used tho. place'as a'means ( of/getting' rid . of ;' sonio ■ of -.. their?.' ( wpj§t ' offenders;'.

Some of t-lie prisoners word questioned,: and-3 .were found to bo quite satisfied with the con-! dition'of things in the camp. Olio thitig is laviaerit, and that is that the sendees passed ( have been far' tpo.'lehienl," and-act'-as no ; deterrent..;? ; \ !- t • The . opinion is '■ expressed; here rtljafc prisoners' at tree-planting camps are practical]j, oil parole, and are allowed' specially favourable conditions;, 'Therefore, if they try 'to break , awaythey ' should incur ' a lieavy penalty. . - settlers in the sparsely-settled . districts about Galatea and Taupo are much. concerned about the recent escapes, and women'are naturally^afraid to be left alone' when. dcspera.teichafactef3 are at large. No blamo can bo attached to the-officer in charge of the camp for any of the escapes. They' are 1 not' due to''carelessness or lack' of . discipline. ? Six not. k^p.tho..fifty..'meii'in . the. camp against their will.. The whole of ' tho conditions are framed on, the supposition .; '.that'the men prefer, camp to gaol, and that ? for' their good behaviour they obtain 1 bettei ' food, healthier, labour,- and considerable r&. . mission of their sentences. .' ' • s .' :