PRISON REFORMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1141, 31 May 1911, Page 7

PR ISON REFORMS.

NEW SOUTH WALES SCHEMES 1 ■ ■• .0 . Jsy Telegraph—Press Association-Oopyrieht ~'i,...:,., ... . ~ ; Sydney, May 30. Mr. Holman, Acting-Premier of New fe^th:Wales, lecturing: before the Koyal Society; outlined important prison reforms, ", i Be, said-it had been found that the hard labour diet was inadequate for a strong man, ( and it must be altered. ■ Consump- ' tive.' prisoners would receive out-door scientific treatment. ', In order that prisoners' wives and families should not 'suffer, prisoners would be compelled to do remunerative work, and thus repair the wrong done to sopiety. ' : .. Ho v would 'introduce an experiment in afforestation by ex-prisoners, as had been done in New Zealand, where afforestation had been highly successful, and in- ' tended to establish free camps, conducted by the Government, where released men would go straight from gaol, and earn eight shillings a day. This would do wonders, and complete the reformatory system. ■ ■ ■■■ • • Mr. Holman added that he was arranging for tho, abolition of Supreme Court circuits in thp country. Instead, they' would send jndges to districts shortly after prisoners' commitment on serious charges, in order to prevent unjust waiting and congestion of litigation, In Sydney a. Court of Criminal Appeal would be established. ' The Executive would be relieved of the.duty of,deciding whether capital sentences „ should be. carried out j it would .transfer,the responsibility to a.tribunal of Supreme Court judges, presided over by the Chief Justice.