CRIME IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13263, 23 August 1906, Page 6

CRIME IN NEW ZEALAND.

REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF PRISONS.

UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS.

•XDETERMINATE SENTENCES

RECOMMENDED.

fBT fTLEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Wednesday.

The annual report of the inspector of prisons (Colonel Hume), which was laid on the table of the House of Representatives today, states that all the prisons of tho colony are in a thoroughly efficient state, and that, as far as possible, the classification of prisoners has been well carried out, although, owing to tho lack of accommodation, the cellular system could not be enforced in its entirety. The majority of complaints from prisoners were those of innocence and too severe sentences, but representations of improper treatment and bad food or clothing had been very few. In regard to supplies, the only trouble had been with regard to potatoes, which were scarce, expensive, and inferior.

There were 13 escapes during the year 1905, as compared with nine in 190*.

At. the close of the year there were 74* males and 66 females in the prisons, being an increase of 66 males and a decrease of six females. The greatest increase had been at Auckland, and" the greatest decrease at Lyttelton.

"It is difficult," says the report, "to conjecture the cause of the increase of crime in Auckland, but it. may be partly accounted for by the fact that, it is the first port of call for the boats from 'Frisco, New South Wales, and the Islands. An undesirable class of immigrants is apparently being dumped down in the colony in the way of stowaways, cargo-broachers, and seamen and firemen "who assault their officers or refuse to work, often on purpose to got to prison so as to remain here after their vessels have sailed." There were three deaths and one execution during the year. Prisoners had been maintained at a gross cost of £48 17s per capita, as against £*8 9s 6d in . As an exemplification of different prices iu different localities it is mentioned that in Auckland a daily average of 224 prisoners were fed for £1557, while in Wellington it cost £1533 to feed a daily average of 157 prisoners. HABITUAL CRIMINALS. Reference is made to tho difficulty of dealing with habitual criminals, and the opinion is expressed that the principle of indeterminate sentences should be adopted. " Tho indeterminate, sentence, as applied to such criminals," says the inspector, " has been adopted by differonf. countries, and it. is believed that the time has now come when itmay, with fair hopes of success', be introduced ill this colony. There tan be little doubt that it is now required to deal with the few real habitual criminals with which the colony is cursed. These individuals have from then young days preyed on society and are not entitled to tho rights of a citizen or to their liberty. They boast that they havo never done a day's work and never intend to, and. although they do a certain amount of work whilo in prison, they are no sooner released than they commence their nefarious modo of life again and return to gaol." PROBATION ACL. A total of 111 persons were placed on probation last year, as against 91 in 1904. Of these 30 satisfactorily carried out tho conditions of their licenses and were discharged, four were rearrested, one absconded, two were sent to industrial schools, one to a mental hospital, and 73 still remained under supervision. Of 1768 persons placed on probation since the passing of the Act in 1886, 1486 had been discharged after satisfao- | torily carrying the duties of their licenses, and 99 had been rearrested and again convicted for various offences. The percentage that had done well was 84.05, whilst the absconders showed a percentage of only 2.1*. These result* showed that the Act was one of the best yet placed on the Statute Books. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. In his annual report Mr. F. E. Sevcnie, governor of Mount Eden GaoL makes the following reference to the question of the coroporal punishment of prisoners:—"As far as the conduct of the prisoners at Mount Eden is concerned I may say that the vast majority of them behave very well. There were 15 male and one female individual prisoners punished on 40 different occasions, which means about one out of every 100 dealt with. The conduct of some six or seven men could hardly have been worse, and the means of punishing such prisoners is quite inadequate. When the Prisons Act of 1873 was in force men could be flogged for such , conduct, a.nd the prisoners themselves knew this. Consequently there was seldom or never occasion to resort to the use of the cat. No prison officer that I have ever met with likes to have anything to do with corporal punishment: yet they all agree that as a deterrent it. has no equal. Cowardly and brutal persons (not worthy to be called men) think nothing of committing gross outrages and assaults on officers so long as they cannot be made to feel some physical pain as a. consequence. Nearly all of the worst of the prisoners are old offenders from other countries, and, having been used to serving- sentences in prisons where such gross misconduct is dealt with by corporal punishment, the mild manner in which they $,re treated in this colony for similar offences is no deterrent. This question is on all fours with capital punishment. No one want* to see it inflicted, but having it on the Statute Book acts as the strongest preventive, and in whatever count the law has been repealed or relaxed the crime against which it was directed immediately increases. The common objection against corporal punishment is that it tends to harden and brutalise men, but I contend that there is a class of men whom no treatment could mako more brutal than they are— who are cowardly, cruel, cad depraved to a oegpree that no one who has not had to deal with them can possibly conceive." I

DECREASE IN CRIME. The criminal statistics show an acgiesrate decrease of 817 on the figures for 1904. The decrease is principally accoutred for by the reduction in the number of persons "dealt with for drunkenness. Tho decrease in drunkenness is attributable to the amendment of the Licensing Act passed in 1904- and the discontinuance of licenses to railway refreshment-rooms. The total decreases in arrests for drunkenness in the four cities with their suburbs were : Auckfen d n 1; M n *»' 375; C'hristchurch, ooO; Dunedm, 165.

MOUNT EDEN GAOL. V 3 overnor of Mount Eden Gaol (Mr. for* I* * ri no) .V hi rport for the ? car lytto states that tho number of prisoners received during the year was 1155 males and 1/4 female*, a total of 1329. being an increase of 126 males and 46 females on the number received in 1904. The daily average in prison was 202.70 males and 21.56 females, a total of 224.25. This is an increase of nearly 27 males and 650 females on the previous year. After referring to ''< the impropriety of sending persons suffering from delirium" tremens to prison," the report states: '-There have been no escapes during the year, but there were some daring, attempts to break pn?on. The.-e, however; were confined to two men who are experts in this particular branch of criminal knowledge. Thanks to the strength of tho building and the vigilance exercised by the officers those attempts proved abortive." There had been no complaints against tho staff.

During tbo year a very large amount of work had been done. Tup central wing had been completed (so far as tho cell accommodation is concerned) and occupied. The front portion of this wing, containing chapel, offices, visiting rooms, etc., ought to 'completed before the. end of 1906. The cash receipts arid work for other Departments amount to £5610 ,8s 5d being an increase of nearly £600 on the previous year a work. The gross cost per head was 7s less than in 1904, while the- net cost was il is 10d highei, but both gross and net cost is very low. ; "The issue of tobacco to prisoners," says Mr. Severne, "has added over 10s per head to the cost of every man and woman in tho prison without, in my opinion, any commensurate improvement in the conduct or industry, while the time spent in smoking makes an appreciable difference in tho amount of work done." On the subject of probation Mr.'Severne states that the total number dealt with under this Act during the year was 40 males and eight females. Of these 12 males and five Females completed their terms in a most satisfactory manner: two males absconded, one was sentenced for not complying with the conditions of his release, and "two wore transferred to other districts. Mr. Severne rays: "It is most satisfactory to find.that the Courts in this district exercise great*discretion in the administration of this Act. i must once, again thank Inspector Cullcn and all his officers for their invaluable assistance in helping rue to <«rry out the provisions of. tho Act."