PRISON CONDITIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 June 1913, Page 7

PRISON CONDITIONS.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF JUSTICE.

fit T____EOIUI_.—PBESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, June 20. The Minister of Justice, who has completed his tour of investigation of the prisons of New Zealand, reviewed the position in a statement, to a Post representative to-day. lie said that the legislation dealing with habitual criminals had been well tested now, and he believed it was working with a fair amount of success. The gaoler at New Plymouth bad informed him that quite a number of habituals who had been released were turning out well. At the present time there were confined in New Zealand gaols 59 habitual criminals, 42 prisoners undergoing hard labor sentences, and declared habitual criminals, 104 detained for reformative treatment, 48 prisoners undergoing hard labor sentences to be followed by reformative treatment, and 619 prisoners working out hard labor sentences of over three months. Smce March, 1911, 42 habitual criminals and 82 prisoners detained for reformative treatment had been released on probation on the recommendation of the Prisons Board. Fifteen of .the habituals and eight of the reformative detention prisoners released had been returned te prison. The Minister states that it would be quite impossible without Xhe expend]ture of large sums of money to do much in the way of classification and what is called "reform" work. Some of the gaols such as those at Lyttelton, Wellington anfc Napier are'cbsoleV and until money is available for the construction of modern institutions, a perfect ■ system., of classification cannot be devised, but even with the limited means, at, the disposal of. the State a commencement has been made to improve conditions.