HEALTHY PRISON LIFE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 149, 19 March 1936, Page 11

HEALTHY PRISON LIFE

Justices of the Peace Visit Wi Tako WORK OF INMATES Delegates attending the conference of the Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations inspected yesterday one of the places to which some of the offenders who come before them are ultimately committed. About 50 delegates anil their wives visited the Wi Tako Prison at Trentham, and were shown the conditions under which the prisoners live. Except for the heavy surrounding wall aud the plain living quarters, the prison bears little resemblance to a jail. Bather does it appear as u community farm. Only good-conduct men are committed to Wi Tako Prison, and therefore a greater amount of liberty is allowed. Several acres of land are cultivated, and the produce is seut to the local markets. In their uniform of bluegrey shirts aud light-coloured trousers, tbe prisoners till the soil under the supervision of perhaps only one warder. The life is healthy, the food plain but wholesome, and reasonably comfortable living quarters are provided. A strong steel grille guards tbe entrance to the sleeping quarters, but apart from that the impression gained is that of a school dormitory. Each prisoner has his own cubicle, which has to be kept spotlessly clean. A bookshelf, toilet stand aud electric light are provided, and many of the prisoners have decorated the walls with pictures cut from magazines and framed in tinfoil. A homely feature which strikes the visitor is the half-pint milk bottle standing outside lhe door of each cubicle.

Climbiug the Hill behind the buildings, tbe visitors reached a large strip of land where the inmates had designed aud cultivated picturesque flower gardens with borders of bricks and stones. Unspoiled native bush fringes the gardens, and in this the prisoners have formed a. labyrinth of tracks and leafy bowers, complete with rustic seats. Dead punga trees have been utilised for bridges over streams, and in several places rockeries ami bird baths have been fashioned. In the quietest and most beautiful part of the bush has been erected a cairn to tiie memory of the late Bev. James Holmes, who was, until his death some years ago, the minister at St. David’s Presbyterian Church. Upper Hutt. Mr. Holmes was loved and respected by the prisoners, and when ho died one of the inmates built the cairn and inscribed the tablet in colours. “WI Tako was all the better for his visits,” it reads. Further down the bush is a natural dell, and here the visitors were served with afteuoon tea. Tiers of sandwiches diminished quickly, and the visitors found tliat the prison bread was quite as tasty as that bought from bakeries. During afternoon tea. tbe conference president. Mr. IT. H. Seaton, thanked the Department of Justice, the Undersecretary for Justice. Mr. B. L. Dullard, ami tbe chief inspector of prisons, Mr. D. A. Mackintosh, for their courtesy. The federation had visited many places during conferences, he said, but this was the first time many of them bad seen the interior of a prison. They were impressed by the demeanour of tbe inmates, all of whom appeared to bo friendly, and it seemed that everything at the institution must go on well'. Mr. H. W. Shortt, chairman of the Wellington Justices’ Association, said lie felt sure everyone had appreciated Hie outing. The welcome received from the officials had been doubly appreciat’’ ed and lie felt sure that ail who laid visited a prison for the first time would be struck by the absolute cleanliness of the buildings. It reflected great credit on the officials and the inmaies.

In reply, Mr. Mackintosh said it had been a pleasure to entertain the justie.\ and their wives. Mr. Dullard regretted that he was unable to be present. The prison was a small oue, intended for tbe more hopeful cases. They worked mostly in the vegetable garden, the produce being .sold on the local market. There bad been some protest against interference with local growers, but the output had been reduced to a minimum and there was now no real objection.