PENAL REFORM

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 171, 15 April 1932, Page 10

PENAL REFORM

Howard League Recommendations x

The following remits were carried at the conference of the Howard Penal Reform League yestetday:—

That the conference urges the establishment of suitable Institutions for offenders found to be feeble-minded, or psychopathic, or inebriate, with a view to giving such remedial treatment or training as is possible. That since it is admitted that sentences respectively of hard labour and reformative detention entail practically no difference in prison treatment, the sentence of reformative detention be abolished. That the Prisons Board should act only after receiving reports from a properly constituted psychological clinic and a local welfare board.

That thuch greater care be taken in censoring films concerned with crime. That legislation be passed giving justices hearing the preliminary examination of an indictable case, when committing the accused for trial, power to forbid publication of the evidence given at such hearing, with the exception of the name of thp accused, nature of tbe charge, and a short narrative of the alleged facts, and the decision.