PRISONS DEPARTMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 222, 20 August 1931, Page 2

PRISONS DEPARTMENT.

REPORT TO PARLIAMENT. WELLINGTON, Aug. 19. New Zealand’s prisons population, averaging 1466 daily last year, according to tho Prisons Department report, showed an increase of 28 daily on the average total in the last previous year. It is noteworthy, states the department, that while the prisons ot the Dominion have been seriously overcrowded, owing to a heavy influx of prisoners, there has actually been a decline in the number of commitments of lads to Borstals. It is equally strange that there has been a fairly large increase in the number of young women committed, although the offences of the majority of these show that social conditions and unemployment have been contributing factors. The increase in offences was most pronounced in the class of offence against property. The opinion is expressed that, as in the 1920 depression, tlio increase in the number of crimes coincided with the general depression. Although the prison population was higher last year than for a few years it is satisfactory to observe that the general trend is downward. The number of prisoners committed to prison for the last few years has shown a steady declining tendency, and it is inr teresting to note that in 1929 the number of persons sentenced to imprisonment in New Zealand was 50 per cent, less per 10,000 of the general population than it was 25 years ago. PRISONS BOARD.

The Prisons Board, reporting on the experience witli habitual criminals since the Act was passed in 1911, stated that 55.9 per cent, returned to prison. lT This small percentage of successes cannot be regarded as altogether satisfactory. Realising the futility of releasing again and again those who continue to make a practice of preying on society, regardless of the opportunities afforded them, the board is now less inclined to extend leniency to persons who have been declared habituals once it has been found necessary to cancel their probationary licenses.”

Reports from probation officers show that 1835 cases were dealt with during the year, made up of 812 new admissions and 1023 who -were on the registers at the beginning of the year. Of the total number of probationers dealt with, only 147, or a fraction over eight per cent., did not conform to the conditions imposed upon . them by the Courts. During times of industrial depression the difficulty of fulfilling conditions in respect of making reparation and paying costs presses more heavily upon probationers than in normal times, yet, notw’ithstanding, the total sum of £3812, representing restitution moneys, was received. Economies carried out by the Prisons Department include the non-renewal of expired meat contracts, the meat ration having been changed substantially to mutton, which is killed at the farms and sent to freezing works for issue as reouired, or direct to city institutions. It "is anticipated there will be a cash saving of £ISOO for the current year as the result of this measure. An annual saving of £2OO is effected by having prisoners’ socks made in the Auckland prison.