TO CLASSIFY CRIMINALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 569, 26 July 1909, Page 9

TO CLASSIFY CRIMINALS.

P ; SOME COMMENTS. : (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) ■ :',':'•'; ■■■" ' ■ Auckland, -July 24

. " Tho scheine for prison ■ rfona as outlined by tho'MinWter for Justice .was submitted, to ■the liov' E. C. Budd, who has,been acting ae" iMplwi at the Mount .Eden.Gaol for the pagt:teo' "M ■ said Mr. Bu<Jd,:"<»»e. to/those yho wait, and aftor speaking : dnd writins , - on'the subject .fof' -yoarsj. I think, from tflie stateroents by, tho Minister, that something is going, to, bo 'done. Provision, ■ I 'might' say, ; lias already, -been made for the first two classes by the passmg of tho. 1 Habitual Criminals-and the Habitual Drank-. ' ards Acts,. buji so far as-1 can gather/no-, thing his yet "been, done with a view to educafciug tho habitual offenders .in reform ■ or to provide medicine for .tho.habitual drunkards, bo-tih. of /which -are...liighly..: important, and in. every way idesirable.", , ; . "... ■-.. ... ;■.' Referriag 'to. the third.class, viz., insane : ■and epileptic 'criniinals; Mr.. Budd. stated that he saw no need for tlio'creation of such' a class in Aucfckuid. . There were, he said,, .no. epiJep-tic prisoners, in'. Mount JEden Gaol,; ■while'all,svho became tosane; ivere oonimitted, to the mental hospital. : '"Io this connection," he continued, ''it. might be .interesting- for the public to learn'.tJiat of the five men who created the ". disturbance . at"' Mount , Eden Gaol some two or three yoars ago one was subsequently killed on" the works, another is in the : Mental Hospital .'hopelessly .insane, while a. third was removed prison, with every indication of impending lunacy. Tho -fourth man , has been" released, his term having -expired, •. while : ; the fiftih is still : in: ■Mount Eden -Prison." ' Mr. Budd added that oach of the; five men had been subjected to : separate 1 treatment,- being .practically kept in. solitojy. confinement, for many- months. - ~_. : .As regards the fourfh ■ clasej , the cor.rigables,:.Mr. Budd said that this , included: -most prisoners—first offenders; second ,and thirdi .offenders, • and ■ even : "old ■'. hands.". .These/were tihe offenders whom the Minieter. desired should bo treated in reformatories of an agricultural and industrial character. Hβ had known of many instances in which men , who had been sent out tree-planting had reformed. As regards the'"presumptive'class," ■Mr..-Budd said he. presumed that .the Minister referred. to. Uiose. convioted ■ far minor offences. "In tlhis connection," h© pro 7 oeeded, "the Minister; apparently ■ desires to- : apply .the indoterminato \ sentence ; to young and "comparatively innocent .offenders.; ;. I would say to oot members of Parliament: 'Pause, 'hesitate,' before" you ■ f make this change in the law, for white tiio: judicious working ; o£ the .Probation Act. is producing 'good results; its continuance is much prefer-, 'able for the Dominion to keeping persons in any reformatory, . however wofl ' administered.,"' :' .■■•'.■■' ■"• ■'."';' :.'. '■.:■. •■■•,"•