TO CHECK CRIME.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 977, 18 November 1910, Page 7

TO CHECK CRIME.

DR. FINDLAY'S SCHEME. liEMEDIES INDUSTKIAL AND EDUCATIONAL. An interesting resume and explanation of the Hon. Dr.'Findlay's prison reform schemo was laid on the table of. both Houses of Parliament yesterday. Under the schemo the following institutions are provided for:— Penitentiaries for malo prisoners. An institution for sexual perverts and criminals of unsound mind. An institution for incorrigible drunkards. Prison .camps.' A reformatory .form. A penitentiary and ■ reformatory for women. Most of the institutions at present existing will ha used in this arrangement. Napier and Dunedin gaols uresent so ninny difficulties, on account of the situation/ design, and the impossibility of installing necessary _ industries, that, as soon as proper provision is made, they will be closed. By requisitioning the aid of private agencies, provision is made for extension of the probation systom and dealing with occasional and habitual drunkards. Classification of Prisoners. Prisoners are classified upon a double basis—firstly, as to ■ type, and Secondly as to conduct and imprisonment. According 'to the, first classification, prisoners are distributed to the divisions of the various iustitutions and ngoncics, and according, to the second classification they aro , graded. within those, institutions. The classification, according to type, is as follows:— (1) Professional criminals. (2) Sexual perverts. (3) Criminals of unsound mind. (4) Drunkards. (5) Incipient and pseudo criminals. (6) Corrigible crniinals. (7) The rest of the criminal class. Females are classified as follow:— ■ (8) Incorrigible. (9) Corrigible. .. (10) Incipient and pseudo criminals. (11). Criminals of ' unsound mind. Institutions are classified is order to onable the more concentrated application of methods suited for the treatment of the different classes of criminals. They aro classified as follow-.—Penitentiaries for the detention of criminals enumerated in Class 1, the criminal asylums for Classes 2, 3, and 11, an inebriate institu-' tion for incorrigible, drunkards,; reformatories for Class 6, camps, a penitentiary and reformatory for Classes 8 and 9, priv'ato institutions for Classes 5 and 10, and occnsionals and habituals of Class 4. Tho cose cf, every prisoner sentenced to an indeterminntoterm is, after his probation is served, every three months reviewed by a competent expert tribunal, which may order his release.' It is proposed, in-order to improve the ventilation and lighting of; colls, to provide windows having.B sup. ft, of glass sot in a hung sash. Bars on tho outside will prevent the. prisoners' escape. . Prisoners are divided into three classes, which. are kept apart from one another. They work at different industries, the. object of, which being to . direct their minds into channels which are out of .sympathy with, and in uo way suggest, their former manner.of life—e.g., cracksman are not einployod at stono dressing or where blasting is carried on. Prisoners Debited with Cost. The prison population is debited with the entire cost of the Prisons Department. Tho cost is worked out in detail, and each prisoner shown the cost ho.is debited with. To dischargo this debit . each prisoner must perform his daily task so as'not to incur debit marking. Every credit mark has a monetary value. The relief of tho dependents of tho prisoner is made a first charge upon his earnings. Prisoners may purchase for themselves .certain comforts and food, but earnings so spent have not so, great a purchasing power as in the public market. Prisoners may allow their earnings to nccumn-

late, and receive them on discharge. All debits incurred for broaches o£ : the rules i are met before any appropriation from : credit balance is allowed. The cost of ' any entertainment provided by the institution is debited to the prisoners benofit- \ ing. ' i The Industries. ! The industries suggested are:—Stonemasonry, ironinoulding, tinware, making : book-covers, and bootmaking. AVhon the requirements for tho prison '. buildings now being' erected are completed, the work of quarrying and dressing : building stone is to be carried out in connection, with 'other public buildings. Crushing stone, for. road-making is also to bo carried on. 'At one of the'pebitentiaries workshops will be established. Tho food is 'plain'and well cooked. Every day provides for some change in : the bill, tho weekly bill being changed every three months. No smoking is al-r lowed in tho punishment'grade.. In other grades men are allowed to smoko from 6.40 to 7 p.m. . In the camps tho industries suggested are:' Stone quarrying,' cement manufacture, brickmaking, swamp draining, tree planting, and other public works. The. camps for quarrying stono, manufacturing cement, and making bricks att situated in such parts of the Dominion as will allow of easy distribution. Reformatories are of two classes—agri-' cultural and industrial. Tho site for tho industrial reformatory comprises about 1200 acres of fair to good average soil. There are three grades for tho men, and

every inmate has a 'separate cell. Farming is to bo taught thoroughly in all branches practicable. . Instruction, is given l in ....... (a) Agriculture, draining, fencing; fertilising, .bringing 'in rough land, cropping, raising . vegetables, cultivating fruit, beb farming, . sheep shearing, crutching and dipping, milking, fattening sheep, cattle, pigs; killing and dressing stock, treatment of diseases of stock, and poultry farming. .(b) Handicrafts:. Blaoksmithing, carpentry, miscellaneous (the use of cement, laying. concrete or rubble floors, laying bricks for email jobs, glazing, painting). Tho men are also taught how to cook for themselves, preserve, their health, treat minor ailments, and detect serious ones. The men will bo instructed in English and arithmetic. When the agricultural reformatory is fairly established the accommodation will bo extended to allow for the establishment of a reformatory on purely industrial and educational systems.. The two . will occupy the same site, and be:under the same administration. Tho Lot of the Women, One central prison will bo provided for the detention of females. It will be conducted in two'divisions, one as,a-re-formatory, the other as a prison or penitentiary. To the reformatory are committed all women- reported, by tho Court as. hopeful. They will be engaged in industrial and educational work. To tho penitentiary are committed all wo'men deemed to be habitual and incorrigible criminals. Theso women nro classified according to age, conduct, and the character of their crimes, and are employed in knitting sox and making shirts for prisoners, making mattresses and pillows, "and hemming sheets and pillow cases for. tho Public Service, laundry work, raising vegetables, and keeping poultry. I'or dealing with that class.of prisoner that does not need tho more severe discipline of tho penitentiary or the educational treatment of tho reformatory certain approved private agencies arc registered under tho Prisons Act. Tho Courts decide what persons shall bo committed to tlioso agencies and the conditions of probation, which is of three kinds—siinplo probation (under which prisoners are not disturbed in their domestic or industrial relations, but fulfil obligations imposed by the Court),. night detention, and close detention.