HELPING PRISONERS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 20 May 1930, Page 17

HELPING PRISONERS

IN-CARE AND AFTER-CAKE

, .„-,,..,.,. (To the Editor.) .. 'Sir,—How is it that the Mother Country is closing prisons year by year and lessening the number of prisoners, while we are doing neither? We are officially told that there is very little serious crime ' irf'New Zealand, on the one hand, while, on the other, imprisonment is not only a costly business financially, but also degrades for life the citizen sentenced to undergo it. So that our penal system -.. .would appear to be extravagant, both in money and humanly, and one cannot but ' ask,"What doea England do with the ' law-breaker that we do not? It has been calculated that, had we but her proportion of prisoners to population, we should have but some 400 instead of some 1500 ' each day in our gaols, so the question is worth "asking. She does'quite a number of things; but it. is. of one, especially that I would like tefc write, if you can spare, the space, and that is' her organised system of "in-care i and after-care," begun fight in each prison, and run mainly by workers who cost the country nothing, among them ■ being 'many voluntary visitors, duly ac--1 credited, ' and in every way encouraged to get into close personal touch with their offending brothers or sisters. From the sheet of notes issued to these visitors • . bjt^the ?rison Commissioners, some extracts may be found of interest: — . conversation is an ingredient ofjordinary life; essential to most men if they, are not to lose balance and perspective. . . i Ordinary people of sense and sympathy, who are unconnected with the official administration of prisons, calling on .prisoners in then- cells, and conversing on the widest range of topics, can supply this need. It is for this purpose that the - services of prisoners are sought at every prison. . . . The sympathy shown in the individual affairs of each prisoner will render him more responsive to healthy influences. . . . The recommendations and advice of visitors, based on the intimate knowledge acquired by them of the circumstances and prospects of _ prisoners while serving their sentences is invaluable to the societies, making provision for practical assistance to prisoner's on discharge. ..,.. It ..is hoped that visitors will beepiner members of the .committee of the prisoners','v^id 'Society 'of their prison J:.:,. and Arrange, for. at least one of their nuniberf.':tb;i "attend the weekly meetings of 'the.sub-committee of their Prisoners' Aid SQqi'eties; at which provision is made for'th^.jieeds of prisoners .due for discharge fiiiriifrCtlie! _ ensuing month."' _ And, if .•TOsitors**annot attend such meetings, they are asked to lenter their recommendations in;a. book, provided; while, in order to facilitate this: fraternal interest in, and help for, delinquent fellow-citizens, each visitor is handed a. cell key oh arrival, and liot -merely permitted, but encouraged to call .on his Assigned charges at a time when the.latter is in his cell, without any warder being, present. How does: it work? Admirably, accord-ing-to! the correspondent in England who sent the notes. It introduces to the worst elements -of society the whole world of detent standards, through a medium found acceptable; it introduces the visitor to some new insights, too; it gives a clue to ''better capacities and talents in the delinquent, the fostering of which is proved v far more likely to redeem him than f jn'ere • intimidation through punishnienfc'rot pious preaching; and it prevents ri!whole lot of/waste in money and effort. Right iin the prison the Aid Society appears to meet and interview.those about to re-emerge into normal life, 'with a ,pos- - Bible, sponsor or two. It is like. a bridge froio; prison back to society, and it is .iusii'for the want of its equivalent in. New Zealand that sa : many, of our offenders fail-to make- the' crossing successfully and return to gaol once more, a burden to the rest, of us. , ■ " '

•Have we nothing like it, then? I speak uhcferSborrectioii as to Borsals, but as to prisons for adults, nobbing! No Prisoners' Aid JSppicty, jnee'ts within the walls; there are "only a'Handful of them in any case, and they are -wretchedly subsidised. However, to help any ex-prisoner properly you must Uaiow a good deal-"about;: vhitn? Ms nature, liis strength and weaknesses, his family affairs, and so on. Money and work are not all he needs, nor will you gain that deeper knowledge in a day, nor in any official capacity are you likely to win enough of it. But no demand nowadays for voluntary visitors of this English type' seems made in New Zealand— "ordinary people of- sense and sympathy," to "call on prisoners in their cells." Even the fast'diminishing supply of those /voluntary workers known as Official Visitors is not; r we learn officially^ to be-renewed; Magistrates, it is thought, can' do their work "better! This sounds a little queer in S:fac'e of the English "notes." Miglit;!w'e not, Sir, do well to' try: some New Zealand version of'thus'introducing the .^ell-behaved to the worse-behaved? AM/.iniglit not the Red Crosß, say, proviiK, some workers in this field .of patriotic'salvage?—l am, etc., 'U: : ;.-■■■■ ' B. E. BATJGHAN. . Stunner^ 19th May.