PRISON POLICY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 168, 13 July 1918, Page 5

PRISON POLICY.

SELF SUPF ORT'i£v<jrJ - PRINCIPLE, ENCOURAGING FIGURES. The Minister of Justice (the Hon. TM. Wiiford) gave some figures \ esterctay showing that the value of useful work done by prisoners is not at the rate of £43,000 a year, compared with ±ibl,oo0 —the total " cost of the Prisons 1 Department. Mr Wiiford said that the credits from; various [Departments qf State, in respect to prisoners' "work, ■was £15,083 for the year 1917-18. The labour for the Public Works .'JD'epart<nxent. at 5s a day per mail, was equivalent to £15,083. The improvements effected 1 by prisoners at Wai'keria and i'aDai'iia were valued at £3645. Boots and slippers amde by prisoners for othcials and prisoners were valued at £1283." The value of domestic work (laundry, sanitation, etc.* by prisoners vvas about £SOOO, making a total of +>■40,261 in a year (an increase of ±I4OOO-. over the figiires of any pre vious year.) ... The prison operations now included the making of bricks and concrete tiles (and other articles in concrete), booE-making, iarmihg, dairying, tre»> planting, stone-deasing, and ■ road-mak-ing. The concrete tiles, were supplied for roofing to Stalte Ttfepairthnenhv hich -were unable to obtain galvanised iron. •

The '.farm at Waikcria. comprised About 1200 acres, ; bought at £1 an ■acre;. The improvements made by -irrasoriers would maike this land worth £1? or £18 : an acre eventually. ' He would favour a move on,, ultimately to another locality which could be similarly improved for setllement by free' men. TKus .prison labour would serve to make rough places smooth for the fr»»o

At Pararoa, near Templeton. a, ?ow miles from iChristcliurcli. prisoners were using concrete- to make a large .prison and ont.bniWin.es.

The Minister remarked that eyery prisoner able to ./work 1 was employed usefully. The /prisoners were.' .beimr moved out of t-h-e . ritie.®, a.®' much a? possible. The pri powers in tjv* wiy #aols 'to-day were all ineffer.t4v.es or y.hort-.-seritfnco . persons, or men/ who v-.onld not be trusts in-. the open, except . under close supervision-.--' There onlv 84 prisoners if the- Wellington Citv Cr.*io' now • i