WAIOTAPU PRISON CAMP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13287, 20 September 1906, Page 5

WAIOTAPU PRISON CAMP.

ESCAPE OF PRISONERS. [bt telegraph.—special correspondent.] Wellington, Wednesday. The Minister for Justice was asked in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. Herries whether his attention had been called to the frequent escapes of dangerous criminals from the Waiotapu prison, and what steps he intended to take to deal with the present position, which is a menace to the surrounding districts. Mr. McGowan said he was aware that prisoners had occasionally escaped from Waiotapu prison, but as. no prisoners who were classified by the prison authorities as " dangerous " were drafted to the tree-plaaiting-Rimps, the escapees had invariably been recaptured almost immediately, and in no instance had any serious crime been committed while they were at large. However, he had reiterated his instruction to the inspector, of prisons to see that only those prisoners who were first offenders or who had proved that they were unlikely to cause trouble were transferred to Waiotapu and other tree-planting camps. Mr. Herries said that the escape of prisoners referred to had caused considerable alarm in the district, and he urged | that no men convicted of such serious offences as burglary and offences against) the person should be sent to Waiotapu. Mr. McGowan said a great deal of good was being done by the tree-planting camps in assisting prisoners to retrieve themselves. In doing this, of course, it was necessary to take'a certain risk, but no" serious harm had resulted so far from the escapes referred to. .