PRISON REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 550, 3 July 1909, Page 5

PRISON REFORM.

CABINET'S IMPORTANT DECISIONS.' ADVISER ON PRISONS APPOINTED. OBJECTS OP THE REFORMATORY FARM. Doting tho course of tho meeting of Cab-- ' inet yesterday, portion of tho prison reform proposals, devised by tho Minister for Justice > (Dr. Findlay), were eonsideicd. Interviewed by a Dominion reporter, Dr. Findlay stated that further reports obtained with respect to the Mtramahaki Experiment Farm went to show that the laud which' it comprised was far too valuable and highly cultivated td justify its being used for tho purposes of a reformatory farm! In addition to those considerations, representations: were made by "rcSidtinte in tho vicinity against the establishment of a reformatory farm there. Yielding rather more to'the last reason, than to tho former, thd Govern-., meat had determined to eeek aii area mors remote from close settlement, and otherwise bettor suited for tlio purposed in view at ' Tokanui, which was near Hamilton. ' There , was, in that locality, Dr. Findlay continued, a largo area, part of which had ' boon taken, and the balance vu proposed to bo acquired fot the purposes o£ a montai hospital. Other land suitable for the pur* poses of a reformatory farm was situated 'in the vicinity. About 1000 acres of this land, , which was poorer in quality thai tho Moumaliaki farm,, had been selected by the Government for a reformatory farm. Dr. Hay - bad been going into tho matter very carefully for sorno timo past, and had submitted a report, which Cabinet had that day proved. , Dr. Findlay went on to say that it was ' i proposed to erect tho necessary building for ' tho purpose of accommodating s number <il I suitable pribonere—and particularly joiifljj I men—as soon as possible. They would there ' bo taught not only all ordinary branches df farm work, including agricultural methods, stieep farming, and dairy lanning, but also tile elements of those, trades, such as carpentry, as were deemed useful to a fully qualified farmor or farm servant. The object tiae to , ' ,' hilly equip tho prisoners who-were sent there for evory branch of farm life,' and xi' was ' hoped that tho leformatory farm would turn out hands at least as highly qualified and 'instructed as tlio best free farm hand was at the p'rescnt time. < \ _~ It was further proposed, Dr. Fjndlay ro-' - marked, to alter the law so that all sentences which wcro now imposed Upon yeiing* uiau, '• ttho immediately thoy tad sorvod their fiontenco returned as » | rule to their evil ways, . should bo indeterminate Sentences with A maximum which might bo fiiod by tho Courts. Under this'system ft waft hoped that those t who were detained on the firm would bo kept ' away from a vicious past long enough to bo set on the right road to a respectable and ' holiest livelihood. It was also Intended thai; after their release places should bo found for • thorn with farmers, and possibly a rcler.se en parolo system similar to that now in force in several countries might be mado law in Now '.Zealand; " Cabinet had that day, proceeded Dr. Find- , , lay, appointed the Rev, Jas. Kayll, ot Hastings, as visiting adviser to the. Prisons Department. Mr. Kayll was ono of tbe most highly qualified penologisie in'New.Zealand. ' He had mode a life study of tho question of prison reforjn. While gaol chaplam both in ' ' Australia and New Zcal&rid ho had made a careful study of the criminal class from tho scientific point of view. Hβ was also tho author of the , work,'"A , Plea for the 'Criminal,'. , ' which was perhape the best book published on tho subject in New Zealand, besides a nnm> bcr of essays and lipbn different bnvnohes of prison, raform. 'Mr, Elayß had also been eelectod to represent -die Dominion at the conference of prison reform experts to he held at Seattle 'tb ia war.' It was in tended that ho should visit tio prisons syeteinsvtic- ' nlly, and ho would' co-opentto with Dr. Hay in carrying'ottf; schemes of prison reform upon the most approved and modorn lines so far se the gaols and tbcfr geographical pesttion permitted. * In CMclnsioji; Dr. Ptedlay, who hae been oneaged for some timo in devising and carefully considering'a detailed eobomo of reform for the prisons in Nett Zealand, added: "1 am hopeful that after the rofonnaio-ry sohool ' lias beon started I will be ablo soon to pnt the general system that has been devised into operation." i