PRISON REFORM

Grey River Argus, 2 December 1938, Page 10

PRISON REFORM

Far-Reaching Changes PROPOSED IN BRITAIN. RUGBY, November 29. In the House of Commons the Home Secretary. (Sir Samuel Hoare) moved the second reading of the Criminal Justice Bill, embodying proposals for penal reform upon , which he has been working since he became Home Secretary and w.hich, he claimed made the measure the most, comprehensive of Its kind ever, introduced into a British Parliament. At a moment’ When the terrors of the Middle Ages were once again being dragged. out of the dark corners of the past, Sir Samuel Hoare declared, it was well that they should hold fast to the humanities which had proved of such inestimable value to the nation. After referring to the work of John Howard and other famous prison reformers, including his own great-aunt, Elizabetn Fry the Home, Secretary, said they were now taking the. work of those pioneers along a step further, and had embarked upon .the third chapter of reform. In this they were attempting to provide an alternative to imprisonment. . ... One of the main objectives of the bill was to effect an immediate reduction in the numbers, of .young people received into prison, and to provide for the ultimate abolition of imprisonment for young offenders dealt with by courts of summary jurisdiction. For this purpose they were providing a series of new institutions, including two new kinds Of remand homes—institutions which they were calling compulsory attendance centres, and a new form of hostel, to be called . Howard houses. The first type of remand homes, tor children under 14, would deal with abnormal cases needing medical treatment. Remand homes would also be provided for offenders between 17 arid 23 years of age. In the Howard houses an offender would be ordered to reside for a period not exceeding six months. He would be able to go on earning his living during his stay, but for the rest of the time would be subject to disciplinary training. It was also proposed, §aid Sir Samuel Hoare, that habitual offenders should be detained in special prisons. "I am proposing,” he said, to sweep away the remnants of former institutions, which are now more than stage properties of the Victorian melodrama—penal servitude, hard labour, ticket of leave, and the name criminal lunatic.”

With this change he was also proposing the abolition of corporal punishment. The bill was warmly welcomed by the principal ‘ spokesman of the two opposition parties. - ■ ...