SENILE AND INEBRIATE OFFENDERS.

Evening Star, Issue 20196, 8 June 1929, Page 11

SENILE AND INEBRIATE OFFENDERS.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —Sir Joseph Ward’s announcement -that the practice of sending homeless senile men and women to prison is now, at last, to be superseded in our country by arrangements less disgraceful to it is welcome, more than welcome, for much more than itself, good though it is; for it seems to indicate a reversion to that policy of social help that once put New Zealand in the forefront of humane nations, but has for so long been discontinued that we are now, in fact, very_ badly behind. And the enthusiasm with which the premier’s announcement (made in a policy speech, too!) was instantly received shows that, at heart, we are still sound, still care for men and women, not merely for trade returns and superficial prestige, and suggests that more measures along the same lines would he welcomed. _ There are plenty such lines. One of the most pressing, I submit, is treatment of the inebriate. New Zealand, having so definitely of late turned down the remedy proposed by Prohibitionists, should, ,it\ only for her own protection from crime and extravagance, not to speak of humanity, tackle this matter without more delay. The recent increase in motor cars, with its attendant danger where these are not in proper control, has made many people aware of the cost of intoxication to the public in such cases; but the fact is, there is a steady drain upon us all the time from this source. Ido not, know whether _ your readers are aware that, according to_ last years official figures, wc have daily in prison almost 1)500 of our population; while England, with some thirty tunes our inhabitants, has but 9,500 of them daily in prison. It is true, as a thoroughly respectable Englishman said to me the other day, that we do in this country “ put people in prison for nothing at all,” and it is also true that, despite certain boasts, prison, as the English Prison Commissioners admit, very seldom reforms anyone, but, on the other hand, brands for life, introduces to bad company which clings too often on release, and makes it far harder than before to gain an honest living. But that is not the only reason why, in this countrv. crime increases yearly (in England, despite the industrial troubles of the last two years, last year’s figures show an improvement, showing that our much freer use oi imprisonment is not the deterrent to crime some of our authorities aver); nor need we attribute it to what some folk consider the “ comfort” of cur prisons. An English prison visitor lately in New Zealand told me that the English {irisons are now excellent, and seemed no way impressed with ours; and if_ anyone still thinks that a prisoner “lives like a lord.” let him ask himself how many lords live in semi-slavery, at the bidding each moment of others,_ or cat their meals alone locked up in their bedroom, or spend some fifteen or sixteen hours daily in the same apartment, also locked up. Moreover, the English figures for recidivism seem rather worse than our own, so that, even if our penal institutions were more lenient, the balance seems in their favour. No, - hut the fact remains that we are still, in this country, content to punish crime; we do not seek to cure it._ do not employ the modern scientific help,that England uses more and more. Me do not investigate the individual cause, or apply the individual remedy 7. Even in our children’s courts we have no psychological help (I do not see this mentioned in the Minister of Justice’s recent questionnaire, but it is a lamentable fact, and prevents the full usefulness of such courts to the public). If wo did investigate, we should find that an immense amount of offences in this country come through too much drinking; almost all the manslaughter, much of the sexual crime, and a great deal of dishonesty, both petty and serious. And we should ascertain another fact, which is that imprisonment does not cure the drunkard. The Salvation Army islands are said to show better results, and we pay-, I believe, a pound a week or more to the Army for each of its charges, while their work, which is quite valuable, also pays. Could not the State do bettor than this, at less expense? I believe it could, if, in every’ case where drinking proved the cause of an offence, the offender were sent to some institution where lie could get a medical and psychological overhaul, with appropriate treatment following, and, of course, spiritual help also, and release every time only on probation, as from a mental hospital. I believe this would strengthen the weak will, supply an incentive to self-control, and reduce crime in a manner and to a degreen that would open our eyes, safeguard our people, and save our pockets in the most satisfactory fashion.—l am, etc., B. E. Baughax. Sumner, June 7.