INDETERMINATE SENTENCES.

Evening Star, Issue 12899, 23 August 1906, Page 6

INDETERMINATE SENTENCES.

RECOMMENDED BY THE INSPECTOR OF PRISONS. [From Ora pARLiAMENTAnx Kkpohteb.] WELLINGTON, August 22. The necessity of adopting indeterminate sentences is thus alluded to by Inspector Hume:—"A question of the utmost importance, which should not be dealt with without mature consideration, is that of the treatment- of habitual criminals. The indeterminate sentence as applied to such criminals has been adopted by different countries, and it is believed that the time has now com© when, it may with fair hopes of success be introduced in this colony. There can be little doubt that it is now required to deal with the few real habitual criminals with which the colony is cursed. These individuals have from their young days preyed on society, and are not entitled to the rights of a citizen or to their liberty. They boast tliat they have never done a day's work, and never intend to; and though they do a certain amount of work while in prison, they are no sooner released than they commence their nef;irious mode of life again, and return to gaol. In those cases reform appears to be out of the question ; and although the problem of dealing with this class of persons has exorcised the minds of criminologists for a long period, they have not as yet arrived at anv real solution. It is satisfactory to find this question now becoming a burning on-, with the majority of prison reformer©, and there seems no reason why the colony should not now place on its Statute Book a measure dealing with habitual criminals. A Select Committee set up by the House of Commons reported theix opinion that the Judges should be empowered to sentence such individuals, after they had served the due sentences for their crinifs, to be detained for long periods, and made to work uuder less severe rules than apply to those undergoing an ordinary sentence of hard labor. A Bill giving effect to the recommendations of the Select Committee was afterwards introduced in the House oi Commons- in 1804, and though favorably received was not proceeded . with. Many persons who have. probably not studied thesubject, think thai these habitual criminals, or some of them, should be reformed in prison, but experience shows that when an offender, has been convicted three or four times it is almost hopeless to expect any such result, for as soon as he is released he forthwith commences to prey on societv, and gets a fresh sentence. The protection for society, therefore, seems to be an indeterminate sentence. Another indication that such a measure would do good is the alarm existing at present amongst the prison population that such an Act will b« passed."