MENDING AND BUILDING’

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1925, Page 8

MENDING AND BUILDING’

PROGRESS IN REFORMATORY METHODS BORSTAL SYSTEM REVIEWED MINISTER ANNOUNCES INNOVATIONS In his first official resume of the progress in reformatory methods and the work done at the Borstal Institutions, the Minister of Justice yesterday announced a number of interesting innovations whiclqhe said augured well for the effective treatment and, in fact, education, of a certain class of offender who could not be incarcerated in the ordinary prisons. The passing of the Prevention of Crime (Borstal Institutions) Act, last year, enabled the Minister of Justice (Sir Janies Parr), to establish, for the •first time in New Zealand, Borstal institutions for the proper training of young male and female offenders. “For some years back,” said Sir James Parr, in reply to a question from a Dominion representative, i “it has been the custom to send youthful male offenders to ,the institution known as the Invercargill Borstal Institution, and young women delinquents to the reformatory at Point Halswell. Both institutions were actually prisons under the Prisons Act, and were governed by the prisons legulations. The absence of any legal authority to conduct the Invercargill institution as a Borstal and not as a prison institution, prevented me from giving effect to necessary alterations in the management arid the treatment of the inmates. Last year’s Act was therefore mi urgent necessity, and the Borstal system of the Dominion has been placed upon a satisfactory footing." ,

Thorough Classification. People would scarcely conceive the great work that'was being done, continued the Minister. A number of innovations calculated to make the system run even more smoothly, had just been put into operation.' He had arranged originally for the classification of inmates according to age, and a system of inter-classification based on the nature of the offence committed and the past history of the inmates. Those between the ages of 20 and 25 were to be drafted to the Waikeria Borstal Institution in the Waikato, where modern buildings and an extensive farm area made the place well adapted for such an institution. The offenders between the ages of 1G arid 20 would be sent to the Invercargill institution, and wometf'»offenders to the new buildings near Wellington. Sir James Parr said that the great majority of Borstal inmates were employed on agricultural work—principally dairy farming—and it was his aim to put the labour of the inmates to use by breaking in land which may be handed over later for closer, subdivision into dairy farms. As a matter of fact, this policy was being pursued with the older prisoners as well, those removed from Waikeria having been divided into three camps of twenty-five men each, on a good quality of pumice country near Tokaanu. Each camp was under a competent agricultural overseer, and was provided with teams and all the necessary equipment for clearing scrub and breaking in the land, which would eventually be handed over to the Minister of Lands for settlement.

Educational Facilities Extended. The apparent lack of education in the cases of youthful offenders at pie Invercargill and Waikeria institutions indicated the necessity for an extension of the facilities provided for the teaching of inmates in primary school subjects. Reports obtained by the Minister revealed the fact that many of the younger inmates, on being tested after their admission into the institutions, •were unable to perform the ordinary’ second standard work. The cause of this deficiency was somewhat difficult to determine, but the effect on the- individual could hardly be anything but prejudicial. The Minister said he had therefore issued instructions that no effort was to be spared in providing facilities for the education of Borstal inmates. 'Three qualified teachers were now conducting the educational classes at the Invercargill institution, and a special class for backward youths—some of them illiterate—was held by one of the teachers on three afternoons a week. Similar educational classes were held at the Waikeria Borstal Institute, where a qualified teacher was attached to the permanent staff. Facilities were also provided for the further advancement of inmates who desired to specialise in any particular direction, and a number of youths had taken up courses with correspondence schools, with satisfactory results. These inmates were provided with suitable desks in their cubicles, and text books were supplied by the Department to those who had not sufficient earnings standing to their credit to permit of purchase by themselves. Developing Natural Inclinations. "Next in importance to education,” said Sir James Parr, “is the necessity for the training of youths in occupations which will, on release, fit them to take their places in the community as useful and efficient citizens. Agricultural and general out-door work is clearly the best means of employing the bulk of the inmates in their own interests as well as in the interests of the State, but every effort is made to teach those who are so inclined, useful trades. In addition to the work carried on daily in connection with the Department’s building operations, special classes in carpentry, bricklaying, and such like are held at the institutions by qualified tradesmen who are members of the permanent staff.” The Minister said that he was anxious _ that every vouth who was naturally inclined towards any particular trade or occupation should be encouraged to make himself efficient in that direction, and effect was being given to his (the Minister’s) instructions. The value of physical drill as a means of strengthening morals as well as muscles Was recognised, and both at Invercargill and Waikeria gymnasiums on up-to-date lines were provided for the inmates. Under the direction of experienced instructors, the inmates were showing a wonderful improvement in physical demeanour, and, as they attained a greater degree of physical fitness their whole bearing and general outlook noticeably improved. The libraries at the institutions were now well stocked with suitable books, and inmates could choose their reading’ matter from a wide variety of works. The library was drawn upon to a considerable extent bv the inmates, who took an active part in the weekly debates held in the schoolroom. These debates, which had proved a great success, were held under the chairmanship of the headmaster, and the subjects, chosen wqre, of course, non-political in char-

acter. The inmates displayed a keen interest and an enthusiasm which would do credit to an outside debating society.

“Such,” said Sir James Parr, in conclusion, “is the work that is going on under the Borstal system—a work of building and mending—so that if an inmate does not make good on his or lier release, it is certainly not for want of continual effort to reform and educate them to be intelligent, useful, and efficient members of society."