GAOL POPULATION.

Evening Star, Issue 14689, 5 October 1911, Page 7

GAOL POPULATION.

progress of prison reform. officl-\i7repokt ON TEE WHOLIFsAITSFACTORY. [From Cur. Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, October 5. The number of prisoners in the gaols of tho Dominion on the. 10th of June was 891. as compared with 949 on Ist January, 1910, and 882 on the Ist January, 1911. In recording this fact the Under-Secretary for Justice points out, however, that_ a number of persons arc now isent to inebriate institutions or reformatory homes who previously were sent to gaol. Ihe total number of distinct, convicted prisoners received during 1910 shows an increase of 83, the proportion according to population showing a slight decrease. —Crime Not Increasing.— "There has been no movement in tho criminal population for the pact year or two calling for comment," says the UnderSecretary, " but it is clear that crime is not increasing." Generally speaking, he reports, the inmates of tree-planting camps are well-behaved and hard working, and fully appreciate the advantages of being in a camp instead of in a town _ prison. The camp at Waipu is now used ior first offenders only. —-Necessarily Slow. — Tho echeme of prison reform initiated by tiic Minister of Justice, he goes on to say, has not progressed as rapidly as some ardent enthusiasts would desire. Progress in this direction must, necessarily be a, slow process, owing to the enormous difficulties involved in substituting modern, well-equipped penalogical institutions for obsolete gaols. The gaol at Dunedin, for instance, is absolutely useless for any purpose other than the detention of prisoners in confinement. The gaol at Napier is little better, and the Lyttelton Gaol affords few facilities for any kind of j classification and reformative _ treatment, though improvements in this direction are in contemplation. These are the worst instances, but similar difficulties confront lis in other gaols. At Invevcargill the circumstances are more favorable, and good work is being done there. In the Dunedin, Napier, and Lyttelton Gaols the number of prisoners confined on 50th June was 228. "It must be obvious," says the Under-Secretary, " that this largo number cannot be provided for elsewhere at once, therefore 1 venture to suggest to tho critics of the prison administration that they should not expect a system that has been in force for so many years to be completely revolutionised in a short twelve months. The department is doing its best to grapple with the task it, has undertaken, but it requires some time before the results become apparent." —Gaol Administration. — The Inspector of Prisons (Dr Hay) and the visiting adviser (Mr J. Kayl!) also report on the work of gaol administration. I The work at the tree-planting camps, they j sav, is making good progress. r len year." j of'this method of employing prisoners has j made it quite clear that the greatest care ' has to be exercised in selecting men to send to the camps. '' We have made it a rule," they add, '" not to send men who have been tree-planting during a previous sentence." Before the major portion' of tho work of reorganising the prisons can b,e carried out, they go on to say, it will be necessary to have the reformatory farm at Tokanui in an effective condition. Preliminary buildings are. now in course of erection, and before many montlia we expect to be able to send up a Tiatch of prisoners to commence work on the permanent buildings. They add that at present the women are scattered in small groups in all tho pric-ons, and no arrangements can be made for necessary classiuI cation. I Habitual Criminals.—■ . At the reformatory prison at New Plymouth, where tha habitual criminals are detained, there were 15 males and 4 females in custody at the beginning of last year. During the year 21" males and 1 female were received, and 10 males and 3 females discharged, leaving 26 males and 2 females in custody there at the close of the year. —First Offenders' Probation.— During 1910 103 persons were placed on probation. Of these, 24 have so far satisfactorily carried out tho terms of their licenses and been discharged, 24 have been rearrested, 9 absconded, 5 were granted permission to leave the Dominion,' and 63 still Tcmain under the supervision of the probation officers Of the 2,301 persons placed on probation since the passing of the First Offenders' Probation Act, 1886, 1.980 have been discharged after properly carrying out the conditions of their licenses, 141 have been rearrested and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, 57 absconded, 5 were permitted to leave tho Dominion, 1 committed suicide, 5 died, and 112 still remain under the supervision of the probation officers. —Education.— It is interesting to note that of tho 5.399 males and 542 females received into the gaols during the year 5,098 males and 511 females could read and write, 211 males and 27 females could neither read nor write, 57 males and 3 females could only read, and 35 males Lmd 1 female -were ot superior education. —Where They Come From.— The birthplaces of convicted prisoners during 1910 are given in detail, the principal figures being:—New Zealand—l,o3B males, 126 females ; England and Wales—. 802 males, 37 females ; Ireland—343 males, 36 females; Scotland—299 males, 21 females ; Australian States—2s9 males, 19 females. DUNEDIN PRISON. Mr Scanlon, who was gaoler at Dunedin when the report was compiled, states that at tho beginning of 1910 there were 60 males and 9 females in custody. During the year 384 males and 58 females were received, of which number 4V males and 7 females were received twice and upwards-. The actual number of individual persons received was 345 males and 30 fetpales, showing an increase of males and decease of females on the previous year. The decrease of females was no doubt dua'.to numbers being committed from the local courts to receiving homes. The daily average in prison was 57 males and 7.65 females. During the year 393 males and 41 females were discharged, including 2 female habitual offenders, who were transferred to the A : ew Plymouth Prison. At the end of the year 61 males and 7 females remained in custody. The liealth and conduct of the prisoners were good. There were only four cases of minor breaches of 1 discipline. The rations supplied were good. There were no complaints of the dietary. There were no reports against officers.