IN THE PRISONS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1923, Page 13

IN THE PRISONS

INCREASE IN POPULATION

MORE CRIME AMONGST

JUVENILES

INVESTIGATION OF CAUSES.

A general increase in the prison population of the Dominion is revealed in the prisons report for the year 1922-23. The Controller-General (Mr. C. E. Matthews) states that this is no doubt symptomatic of the times, but that when it is realised that the bulk of the increase during the past two years has been, in the more juvenile class of offenders only, the position that has arisen is regrettable to the last degree. "It is time, indeed," he states, "that this phase of criminality received some definite study on the part of some person, or set of persons, specially suited and specially employed for this important class of research work. It is a question of cause and effect. Until the origin of a disease is discovered it is impossible to apply an effective re- | medy. In some of the States of America there are social-welfare departments, with properly qualified staffs to deal , with every phase of social reform worki While New Zealand is not yet sufficiently populous to warrant heavy expenditure in this direction, there is ample room for a co-ordination of effort. A properly organised social-welfare department, combining the activities of some halfdozen departments and private organisations that are now dealing with various phases of the subject, would not necessarily lead to much additional expenditure, but if such a department were established under efficient leadership-there would be little difficulty in providing a special research branch to investigate the root causes of crime and poverty, and to provide formulae at least for amelioration. At present there is no authority to whom members of the public,may appeal when matters affecting the social welfare of the community come I under their notice. It is 'nobody's business', least of all the business of the Prisons Department, but with such evidence before us of the result of the general neglect of the primary principles of social. reform we feel that it is at least our 'business' to draw public attention to the matter." "PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE." In crime; as in disease, he comments, prevention is better than cure. Preventive measures must naturally be applied before the disease has developed. As in disease also, the application of a cure is a doubtful, difficult, and lengthy process. The percentage of complete recoveries in the case of confirmed criminals is probably as small as in the case of sufferers from malignant disease who have received no medical attention until the disease has become well established. "The number of youthful offenders committed by the Courts," states Mr ( . Matthews, "continues to increase. Some years ago our scheme of primary classification provided for all offenders of twenty-five years of age and under being sent to Invercargill, but the influx of young men and boys has recently become so marked that' the accommodation at the. Borstal Institution proved totally inadequate, and as a consequence I found it necessary to reduce the age-limit to twenty-three. From present indications it is apparent that unless the wave of juvenile crime diminishes, the maximum age for Invercargill will require to be reduced to twenty-one, which is the general maximum age for committals to the English Borstal Institution. Young offenders between twenty-one and twentyfive are now sent to the Waikeria Reformatory, near Te Awamutu, where we have established educational classes 'under a full-time board school teacher, and where also wo are carrying on farming, dairying, etc., and are thus training youthful offenders of this class to become useful members of the, community."

Tha criminal statistics for the year under review show that a total of 4569 distinct persons (4295 males and 273 females) were received into the various prisons and institutions,. as compared with 4995 during the previous year—a decrease of 8.5 per cent.', but the daily average number in custody increased from 1065.60 in 1921 to 1113.45 in 1922— an increase of 4.4 per cent. The. decrease in receptions and the,increase in the daily average would appear to be anomalous, but this is accounted for by the fact that during- the past year the number of long-sentenced prisoners received shows a pronounced increase, whilst there is a corresponding decrease in the number of persons received for short terms. In comparing the sentences imposed in 1922 with those of the previous year it is found that there is an increase of fully 100 per !cent. in the number of persons declared habitual criminals. The number sentenced to reformative detention increased by 44.2 per cent., but hard-labour 'sentences show a slight decrease. A total of 340 New Zealand-born prisoners between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five were received during 1922—an increase of 126, or 58 per cent., on the figures for 1921. Crime among youthful Maoris appears to be on the increase. Twenty-ninu Maoris under the age of twenty years were received during the past year, as against ten during 1921.

DEPARTMENTAL EXPENDITURE.

The gross expenditure of the Department under all headlg was £123,360, £6050 less than the previous year, and the gross revenue amounted to £46,961, The average cost per head of prisoners' rations for the two past years" was £15 4s, about 9s less than for the previous two years. ,The total value of pri>on labour for 1922-23 was £93,440. The payment of wages to prisoners with wives and families dependent upon them has been continued, and, so far as can be judged, the system is working satisfactorily. While the new system is by no means as liberal nor as complete as we would wish it to be, the report states, yet it has been the means of giving a measure of relief in numbers of necessitous cases where formerly we had no means of giving any relief at all. ■•.'■•.

The daily average number on the sick list was 20.68, an increase of 4.63 over 1921. The general health of the prisoners is reported to have been exceptionally good. .'■.-'

The standard of industry amongst the prisoners as a whole continues to improve. "It is really surprising," comments the Inspector of Prisons, "to find the amount of interest taken in their ■work by men employed on our farms and ro.idm»king camps, and to such extent that when an accident occurs to machinery, etc., many of them ask to foe, permitted, to work on necessary repairs up to as late as 10 p.m., and* if not completed then, to resume at as early as 4 a.m., just in order that the output shall b» kept up. The work at present, being carried out in our prisons is helping to fit the men themselves for taking up work in outside llife yihen thpy are released, and i&

giving those who desire to do so a reasonable prospect of ' making good.' Some of them, of course, have no such desirfc. Others are anxious to reform, promise to do so, and from their point of view are really in earnest; but as a result of the influence of heredity, or perhaps environment, or perchance a combination of both, they again offend and are returned to prison. Such offenders are to be pitied rather than blamed. It is questionable whether in the interests of society men or women of both of the classes referred to; should not be permanently segregated in special institutions.