PUNISHING CRIME

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 58, 18 September 1928, Page 12

PUNISHING CRIME

CHANGES IN SYSTEM VOLUNTARY COMMITTEES YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS Mr. B. L. Dallard, Controller-Gener-al Prisons Department, at tho weekly luncheon of the Wellington Eotary Club to-day, gave a short address on. "The Development of the Prison System." Ho began by a brief reference to the gradual development of penological ideas, dealing more- particularly with the position in England, and then reviewed tho work of the Department in New Zealand, outlining the effort to conform to current ideas in regard to the treatment of criminals. Our methods, he said, were largely based on the practice in the Motherland. Great stress, said Mr. Dallard was placed by psychologists on the question of the mentality of offenders. It was obvious that where a person's mentality was' defective, he could not conform to normal standards of conduct, but there was,a danger of giving too great significance to this aspect. Most authorities estimated that about 10 per cent, of our criminals were mentally defective. In recent years attention had been focused on tho criminal from a more constructive angle than hitherto. Originally tho retributive and deterrent elements predominated. The protective and deterrent purposes must always continue to be important considerations but the idea underlying society's right to remove an offender from its midst had given place to a realisation that, although society might be protected whilst an offender was in prison, if he emerged therefrom worse than when he entered, craftier than ever, embittered by his experience, or if lie had been hardened by his treatment in prison rather than socialised in his attitude, he was a greater menace to society than before. Consequently tho efforts to socialise and to stimulate an endeavour to reform were now regarded as factors of vital moment in the present day treatment of offenders. OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING. The problem of dealing with youthful offenders had also been given" much greater consideration in New Zealand than hitherto, for it was realised that the flow of crime ofter arising out of bad environmental conditions, could be checked at the source by arresting criminal tendencies in the incipient stage. Tho Borstal system provided for occupational training and instruction, and for the disciplinary and moral influence, of the inmates. Tho aim of Borstal training was a balanced round of work, education and recreation, the primary purpose being to develop a sense of self-respect and selfreliance, and the habits for a life of freedom and responsibility, and at tho same time equip them to take their places in the community with confidence and a. reasonable prospect of success. EDUCATION AND RECREATION. With regard to work tho aim has been, by the establishment of farms and various industries, to provide work of a utilitarian nature. In regard to education, it is recognised that a certain amount of cultivation of the mind lends to counteract the undesirable reactions to the monotony of prison routine, whilst the acquisition of new skill and knowlcdgo assisted in the development of personality. In this connection the Department was indebted to a great number of voluntary helpers, amongst them being Several Botarians, who have devoted considerable time in giving regular lectures and instructional talks to tho inmates. On the recreational side, in addition to physical drill, organised games, form part of the curriculum, whilst occasional visits from outside teams to compete with the inmates at football, basketball, and cricket, had been a recent departure which had proved a great success. Mr. Dalard then described the present classification scheme and occupational therapy system, and mentioned that the working arrangements last year resulted in a saving to the taxpayers of sonic £70,000 in the cost ' of prison maintenance. In addition to giving more attention to reformative effort within the institutions, greater' consideration was now given to the ; question of after-care, and in assisting offenders to re-establish themselves, and in this work voluntary committees assisted in the main towns. Already excellent work had been done, but there was still a. great .field for useful effort in that direction, particularly with exBorstal lads.