“PRISON, NOT SCHOOL”

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 17, 14 October 1933, Page 21

“PRISON, NOT SCHOOL”

Treatment of Inmates of

Borstal Institute

ALLEGATIONS MADE

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Dunedin, October 13.

The Rev. Andrews Baxter, of Gladstone, referred at the Anglican Synod to the treatment of inmates of the Borstal Institution at Invercargill. He said that the institution was under the wrong department. The officers were prison-trained men.

Whereas a man was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for the theft of a watch, a boy for the same offence was sentenced to three years’ Borstal because the magistrates thought it was a training school, but really they were sentencing boys to three years in prison. In the case of a boy who was given solitary confinement everything was taken from his cell in the morning except the wire mattress and the Bible. That was all he had till 10 p.m. He must learn to hate the Bible. The cells were badly ventilated, with no winter heating. This form of punishment might last from one to six days. It was barbarous to treat boys so. The speaker stated that he had been plainly told that a chaplain would not be appointed. It was resolved to appoint a commission to report on the need for better spiritual ministration in Government institutions.