IN ADVERSE TIMES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 28 October 1921, Page 5

IN ADVERSE TIMES

PRISON POPULATION GROWS; An analysis of the criminal statistics for 1920 shows that 3491 offenders were received into prison during the I year, compared ■with 3207 for the previous twelve months, in increase of 284 ! (states the Controller-General of Prisons) ; while the daily average number of prisoners in all the' prisons of the ‘Dominion worked out. at 939.69 for • 1920, against 1004.34 for 1919 and 981.95 for 1918. In comparing thb figures for the three,, years it must, however, be remembered that in 1918 and 1919 the number of inmates of the prisons and prison institutions was largely augmented by the presence of a coiisiderable percentage of military court -martialled prisoners, who could not he legitimately classed as criminals. In order, therefore, to arrive at a proper estimate of the increase or decrease in the criminal population it is necessary to deduct from the' figures for Die three years the daily average .number of persons,who were serving 'sentences for military v offences (failure to enlist, refusal to.'serve m the forces, etc.). All offenders in this category were discharged before the end 0f‘1920, except two who were sentenced to long terms by military courtmartial outside the Dominion for'serious civil offences (manslaughter and attempted murder). The daily average | number of military courtmiartialled prisoners for 1920 was 34.07,, for. 1919 192.80, and for 1918 222.928. Tim average criminal population is therefore reduced to 905.62 in 1920,' to 811.5.4 ip '1919, and to 759.022 in 1918. There was thus an actual increase of 94.08, ;or 11.58 per cent., in the.) daily aver--1 a cr e number of criminal prisoners over tlTe figures for 1919, and 146.59, ‘or 19.31 per cent., over 1918 VI drew attention in my last year’s report tp the Statis- ■ factory in the daily average number of criminals in our prisons in 1919 compared with the pre-war year, but pointed out that we were then “floating upon* a' wave of apparent prosperity” that probably accounted for this " somewhat unexpected positiQU after the conclusion of a great war, and. that if the conditions changed for’the worse the - “change would-be reflected in our criminal statistics.’ ! That the altered ' conditions prevail - 1 ing!' during the past twelve months have had the expected ill effect is further evidenced hv the,fact^hat: .the | daily average prison population for the financial year ended 31st March last (was 965.03, white the number of pni soners in all the prison on the 30th j July of this year (1921) was 1050.