PENAL REFORM

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1937, Page 15

PENAL REFORM

LEAGUE'S ADVOCACY

MINISTER SYMPATHETIC

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 10.

As one who years ago had been invprisoned for his political opinions, .the' Minister of Labour (the.Hon. H. T. Armstrong) showed personal interest in arguments used by a deputation today in favour of a full and open investigation into the penal system of the Dominion. Mr. Armstrong had been deputed by the Prime IVlinister 'to receive the deputation on hisi behalf/

The deputation was sponsored by the Howard League for Penal Reform, and included lawyers, clergymen, social workers, educationists, and business men.

Mr. C. L. Gillies, on behalf of the Howard League, said the fact that New Zealand had three times as many prisoners in, proportion to population as England and more than Scotland, Northern Ireland, the' Irish Fr'eo Stale, Scandinavian countries or Australia, showed that there was .a state of affairs requiring investigation. ■ There was evidence to show.that the benc- ' ficial treatment, of Borstal inmates fell far short of' what it might be. The facts known concerning the probation service pointed to.argreatly overworked staff, insufficient training, and lack of facilities for a complete survey of the individual delinquent to determine the best method of treatment for him. There was explicit evidence that the value of the modern aid of and psychiatry to the problems of delinquency was neither understood nor appreciated by the authorities. It was

suggested that two "properly equipped ! and staffed observation centres should be established, one in each island, for the full investigation of every,^convicted person before sentence.' ' . | "I have been very much impressed by the representations you have made," said the Minister in reply. "I will certainly convey them to the Prime Minister and members of Cabinet, and I think I can give you an assurance that | they will be seriously considered." "WONDERFUL ADVANCES." "Perhaps I am a little more interested because I once epeperienced a short term of imprisonment, though I have nothing to apologise for," Mr. Armstrong continued. "It was an ex-, perience that was worth while. Our ■ penal system may kbe backward, but ] it, has made wonderful advances since ' then. I used to see men yarded up: like, cattle —decent boys and hardened 1 criminals together." I A member of the deputation: They ! still are, sir! Another member: They work to-, gether, though they do not use the j same yard. .

"I do not know about the present men," remarked Mr. Armstrong, .speaking of prison warders. "Those I had to do with were well meaning, but their idea of reforming prisoners belonged to the Dark Ages. Warders should be the best type of individual possible, carefully selected and trained, not chosen merely for their physique." Mr. Armstrong agreed there was need for full educational facilities and training in handicrafts, which; he did not believe.was developed sufficiently except in Borstal institutions. Men should not be kept locked so long in their cells as had been the rule in his experience. He was in .favour of a fuller examination of offenders before sentence. He had found that a large proportion of so-called criminals were simply- victims of mental disease.

Among the prisoners he had seen'poor old men who were in gaol merely because they could not work and there was no otherj ; p^|fcfor v tjiem. It seemed to Him' wrong.^SOTvouiig'nien should be sentenced to long terms of five tc ten years when there was a possibilitj they might be fully reformed in one year. ="-?"•' - \