PRISON REFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19214, 31 December 1925, Page 11

PRISON REFORM.

THE POLICY IN BRITAIN. LAST OF THE BROAD ARROW. [from our own correspondent.] LONDON. Nov. 21. | Speaking at a meeting of tho Central Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society the Home Secretary, Sir William JoynsonHicks, said the object of the whole administration of justice was not merely to punish, but to reform the evildoers. It was a remarkable fact that when they looked at the crime statistics of last year and the number of previous convictions, they found that the worst offenders were women. Most of these female recidivists, as they were called, were poor, miserable, elderly women, who were beyond hope of reformation. Parliament ought to give the prison administration some kind of provision for protective homes for these poor old things. The State would have to consider very soon whether it might not give power to order preventive detention of a kindly character for these unfortunate old people who are not convicted of serious crimes. Another difficulty with which they had to deal arose out of the short sentences which were given in many cases. In these cases there was no time to make it possible for any attempt to be made at reformation. The cruelty and the wickedness of a fortnight's or three weeks' imprisonment for a first offender was beyond words. There was not a single prison worker or prison reformer who did not agree with what he was saying as to the absolute wickedness of short sentences of that kind. In a reference to the disappearance of the broad arrow from prisoners' clothingj the Home Secretary said: "We are trying now to remove all unnecessary degradation from prisoners. You remember how you used to see in pictures prisoners marked all over with the broad arrow. As soon as all the cloth now in stock is worked out, and it is nearly worked out, these broad arrows will disappear. Decent, respectable clothing is now provided for prisoners so as not to put upon them the taint of imprisonment, all with the idea of improving their position and morale."