HELP FOR GIRLS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 163, 6 April 1938, Page 10

HELP FOR GIRLS

Borstal Association’s Work PRAISE BY MINISTER OF JUSTICE "One would not have the slightest chance of achieving the success we have without the work carried out by ths association,'and 1 express my appreciation and the thanks of the Government for the work of the association, said the Minister of Justice, Hon. H. G. RMason at the annual meeting of the Women’s Borstal Association last night. The work had no reward in publicity or otherwise and thus was all the more worthy. Mr. Mason presided. Mr. Mason said that from the time of the passing of the Borstal Act in 1924 to March 31, 304 girls were admitted to the institution and 280 released on licence, but only 36 had been returned for misbehaviour. That was a remarkably good proportion of success the more so because many of the girls were of the kind that one woulu wish had been taken in hand before their advance along the wrong road had become so marked. Only when a case was most difficult indeed did it go to the Borstal. When that was considered the great success of the. work became apparent. It wa’s a testimony to the fact that the sympathetic human interest shown by the members of the association cOuld do wonders. Work Primarily Outside. The skill and experience of the members was an important element, also, but it was human sympathy that gave that skill. Most of those interested in the work had been interested in it from its beginning, which showed a great devotion which was one of the explanations of the success that had attended their efforts. Primarily life work was among the girls after they had left the Institution, but the contacts .made within it must be a great help in assuring them that they had friends to help them when they left it. The work of the association was vital. Mr. D. A. Mackintosh, inspector of Borstal institutions, read a letter from Mr. B. L. Dullard, Controller-General of Prisons, apologising for his absence, caused by the death of his father. Mr. Dallard enjoined the association to continue its work. "It should be stressed that a Borstal institution is not an easy prison,” Mr. Dallard wrote. “It is a place where training and discipline are given prominence instead of punishment. The work the inmates are required to perform is quite as strenuous as in a prison. One of the first objectives is that inmates sha.ll acquire the habit of work —to apply themselves at it no matter what it Is, as a matter of selfdiscipline more than as vocational training which will follow later. The discipline is kindly but not lax, and the general scheme of training is designed to fit inmates for usefulness In after life. Small Number Lapse. "By the inculcation of ideals, and by thp influence of the staff, and the provision of incentives for better conduct, it is hoped that anti-social habits will be overcome. To this eud the cooperation and mental assent of the inmates is necessary, and In the attainment of this objective the Borstal Association helps in no small degree by its members visiting the institution and exercising their personal influence on the imnutes, ‘’The after-care work is also of vital importance and by undertaking the supervision of cases a more valuable public service is being performed. Supervision connotes a much wider attitude than merely controlling the inmate. It involves gaining his or h.er confidence, befriending her and securing a co-operative response- I have seen examples of most difficult cases, and have witnessed some remarkable results with exceedingly intractable material. These cases impress upon me the high value of the association’s work. “The statistical results as a whole confirm that these methods are well worth while. Only 11 per cent, of those discharged from Point Halswell have ever appeared before the courts a second time. When one considers the numbers who have passed through, many of whom but for the methods adopted would now have been well advanced on careers of crime and degradation, and the small percentage of failures, the iresults are indeed encouraging.” Mr, Mackintosh added that the number of inmates was decreasing, but if there’ were an association in New Zealand to prevent girls getting into the position from which it was necessary to send them to the Borstal it would be still better for the community. Some who criticised the work of the institution would find scope for their interest in that direction. A member remarked that the establishment of women police or patrols, for which there' bad long been agitation, would help to close the Borstal institu- ’ tious. Miss A. E. Sewell, superintendent of the institution, thanked the association on behalf of the staff. She emphasised the value of the association’s work in getting to know girls before they left so that its members could better understand the girls afterward. She remarked on the great confidence the girls had in the ability of the members of the association to help them aud said that the work of the association was sometimes a girl’s first experience of disinterested assistance. Mrs. R. Tait, chairman of the committee, also addressed the meeting. The office-bearers were re-elected.