BORSTAL SYSTEM

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1939, Page 5

BORSTAL SYSTEM

CLAIM TO DEFICIENCY [per press association.] WELLINGTON. August 21. Only 1.5 per cent of those youths who pass through the Invercargill Borstal Institution again appear before the eon rts. This fact, says the annual report of the Prisons Department, is regarded as “fairly eloquent testimony of the efficacy of the methods employed at the Borstal in an endeavour to deflect these young persons from criminal careers to ways of useful citizenship. But how much better it would be if character-training began before they reached the Borstal." This report also says that twentytwo escapes were made last year, a small iiur.tciable group of persistent escapees being responsible for an increase iu the number compared with the previous year. The group comprised lads who on reception were entirely undisciplined and anti-social in their outlook and were quite unresponsive to any socialising infiucnees. From the outset they evinced no interest in anything but their plans io escape. It was ultimately found necessary in the interests of the peaceful, ordered management of the institution to separate this group and transfer the inmates to other prison farms.