PRISON ESCAPES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 11

PRISON ESCAPES

QUESTION OF TRUST

FREEDOM OF INMATES

While not opposing the policy of allowing prisoners all possible freedom, the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) asked in the House of Representatives today whether this policy had resulted in an increase in the number of escapees. The.'Attorney-General (the Hon. H. G. R.. Mason) replied in the negative and added that on the whole the prisoners justified the faith reposed in them. Mr. Hamilton said he had noticed that there were twelve escapees -from the Borstal Institution at Invereargill dxiring the past year. He did not disagree with the policy now in operation, but the question was were the prisoners being allowed more freedom than was wise. Prison escapes caused a good deal of disturbance to the public,, and were also most expensive to the Department. The welfare of the men also had to be considered, for they were usually in an exhausted condition when tracked down and captured. A CROSS-COUNTRY RACE. Mr. Hamilton said he had heard of prisoners being allowed to take part in a cross-country race. All of them j were out of sight for part of the time, but all returned to the starting point. I The temptation to escape- must be strong on young men on occasions of that sort, added Mr. Hamilton, and perhaps the Department should consider its responsibility in placing too much temptation in the path of the prisoners. I Mr. Mason replied that it was not in the best interests of the prisoners to be continually suggesting to them that they were unworthy of trust. It ! was beneficial to the men to give them the chance of responding to trust. This method sometimes brought a disappointing result, but the disappointments were an unavoidable aspect of a policy that on the whole was proving worth while. Mr. Hamilton: Are there more escapes now than before? Mr. Mason: No. On the whole the men have responded to their trust.