TREATMENT AT WAIKERIA

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 109, 4 November 1926, Page 12

TREATMENT AT WAIKERIA

REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT'S ALLEGATIONS

DENIAL BY CONTROLLER-GEN-ERAL OF PRISONS.

A flat denial was given by the Controller-General of Prisons (Mr. B. L. Dallard) to-day to certain statements made by the Rev. Howard Elliott at a Protestant Political Association meeting last night in regard to the case of Sidney Erne Baume, whose recent release from reformative detention has been the subject of comment. Mr. Elliott is reported to have said that Baume retained his civilian. clothes until he left, and in the mornings was allowed to lie in bed until the sun was up, that he received cakes, eggs, etc., and that instead of parading with the other prisoners in tfie morning he was given a book to sit in the aim and enjoy himself. The Controller-General of Prisons stated to-day that Baume was not sentenced to imprisonment, but was ordered to be detained in a Borstal institution under the Prevention of Crimes Act, 1924. Pending transfer to the Waikeria Borstal Institution ia tho Waikato, Baume was taken, under sentence, to the Wellington Terrace Prison. He was sentenced on Saturday, 6th February, 1926, and was transferred to Waikeria on 10th February. It was not. only the practice, but it was generally recognised to be essential, that prisoners sentenced to reformative detention in Borstal institutions should, while awaiting transfer to the institutions where they were to be detained, be kept apart from the other prisoners, and they were also allowed to keep their civilian clothes. On arrival at the Borstal institution, however, they, donned prison garb, and no exception was made in the case of Baume, who at no time received preferential treatment. At Waikeria, Baume assisted the schoolmaster, but was afforded no facilities or special treatment other than what was accorded to inmates who performed similar duties. "It is to be inferred from the Press reports that my appointment as Con-troller-General of Prisons in some way influenced the question of the release ot Baume," said Mr. Dallard, "This is incorrect, as I was not a member of the Prisons Board at the time his release was determined on. At the same time, I am satisfied that an impartial review of Baume's case, together with the reports from the superintendent and th* schoolmaster at Waikeria Borstal Institution, will show that his conduct, industry, and general behaviour whilsf under detention merited favourable consideration."