TOWN EDITION. Evening Post. TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1881.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 108, 10 May 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. Evening Post. TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1881.

DISCHARGED PRISONERS. ? A contemfoeaet recently advocated the establishment of a Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society in Wellington. The subject was not, however, dealt with in a practical way, neither facts nor figures being given to j show that the necessity existed in Wollington for tho establishment of such an institution. Tho writer had before him a report of tho Melbourne Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society which showed that during the last nino years 2254 discharged prisoners were relieved by the committee of the flociety, and helped to earn an honest living, in Eome tea«es witn satisfactory resttltsv Founding upon this, and posuesßing no knowledge whatever of the subject as concerns Wellington, our contemporary contends that as there is a Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society in Mel* bourne there ought to be one established aero. Tho subject is of seme jmp-Jtt&nce in its local aspect, and we therefore propose to look into ifc in a practical way, adducing such facts and evidence as bear upon it. When, two or three years ago, a Parliamentary Committee investigated the whole subject of the gaol system, they paid special attention to the point as to whether prisoners should receive any temporary assistance to keep them when looking for employment after obtaining their discharge. Mr. Micaiah Read, tho Governor of the Wellington Gaol, giving his evidence before the committee in 1878, before the dull times came, said — " As a rule, no allowance of money is given to men when they go out of prison, because, in most cases, it is not needed, because they readily find employment. I have frequently known men get work on the very day of their discharge from gaol. A man will sometimes be discharged at 8 o'clock in the morning, and at noon will cart a load of coals to the gaol for his employer in town* In cases where it is absolutely necessary that some help should be given to a particular prisoner a representation is made to the Government." These statements were perfectly accurate in 1878, when work of the labouring kind was abundant, but they require some qualification at tho present date. A man able to do manual labour, on coming out of gaol here, might for a few days fail to obtain employment in the oity, but would probably get work either there or in tho country After » little time. If the ex-prisoner is absolutely friendless he should Ba helped with a fow shillings, 110 keep him going for some days till he obtained work, or to enable him to go up country. There should be some small fund available, out of which such payments could be made at tho discretion of the gaoler or tho Visiting Justices. That is all that is wanted, and the machinery of a Discharged Prisoners Aid Society is altogether superfluous under existing circumstances. Tho fact is that no regular and organised criminal class exists in Wellington. Men who make a false step, and are sent to gaol for a year or two, can, if they like, on their release obtain laboring work, and become absorbed among the honest part of the oommunityi Prisoners who, while serving their sentences do good work, should, under the "mark" system, have a small sum of monoy placed to their oredit, which they could receive on leaving the gaol. On this point Mr. Edwaed P.eahce, one of the Visiting Justices of the Wellington Gaol, says. — "Ther« ought to be some small assistance given to prisoners when they 9omo out of gaol. They have to find lodgings, and wait till they get employment. W hen I have been called upon by such men and asked for a few shillings» and sure that the men spoke tho truth, I have always given the money, as a private gratuity." Under the old Provincial system of Government, the Visiting Justices could always give an exprisoner a letter to tho Provincial Treasurer, asking that the man should be helped, and some small Bum of money was always given. Thero is no such system now under the General Government. Mr. Peaece does not think a Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society is necessary, and adds that the temporary/aid he had indicated should be given to the men direct. Mr. Jos Deansfield, another of the Visiting Justices, gave evidence on the same point. Ho said : — " I think when a prisoner's time is up there should bo some arrangement by which the man could have assistance for a couple of days. It is scarcely likely that a man can drop into work the very day he gets out of prison, and he ought, I think, to be assisted for acouploof days." And Mr. Deans* ield added, that mon while in prison ought to be allowed to earn a limited sum by their " marks," so as to have some monoy coming to them when their sentences wero completed. It will be seen from what wo have already written that a Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society is not yet needed in Wellington. Tho thing required is that the prisoners should be allowed to earn something by their marks, and that a 6mall sum of money should bo placed at the disposal of the gaoler, bo t>at, under the written authority of a Visiting Justice, he could give some small aid to any discharged prisoners requiring it. It may be said that the female prisoners require money aid on receiving their discharge. This is hardly the case. When a servant girl gets into gaol for her first offence, she is usually helped by friends, after serving her sentence. If not, there is a Ladies' Committee, who would soon find her a place if she was disposed to be honest. The rest of tho women are abandoned prostitutes and confirmed drunkards, for whom a Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society could do no good. If these women obtained money help, they would, in eight cases out of ten, get drunk with it, and so find their way to gaol again. We have dealt with tho question in a practical, common-sense way, and leave it to others to indulgo in namby-pamby nonsense and maudlin sentimentality about " the poor prisoners."