BRIDGE AND PRISONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20304, 11 July 1929, Page 17

BRIDGE AND PRISONS.

HOWARD LEAGUE EVENING. With .Mrs. Ax ford as convener of a small committee consisting ol the Ilev. I'OOlgO Coats, Mis. Dewing, and Mrs. \ ictor Mackv, a very successful bridge evening was organised and held in ( ho Dclinonico C'ai'o last evening. Its object, apart from that of raising funds, was to mako known and lo arouse interest in the work that is being done by the Howard League for I'inal Kel'oriu. 'J ho le.iulting tunds arc for its furtherance. . Before tho gathering settled down to

play, a I-ri i• I" was made 1• y Iho

| |ju'.si\|ciit, .Mr. liiclitiiund. who .stressed j I lio yrfiit need for reform in our jx'iiiil I Ijiws find (iiitlincil some of the methods

followed in Kiil;l;iihl, which were tar I ah;',-id of iiiivthini; in this country. Mr. ■ I v i<-I i mom I ((iiotetl the case ui a voiiiil; man—at that time a mere Ijov—who hail

I'ci'M sent to |>ri.stiii for ;m uffoiico 11iat

\wi.s liv no moans serious. Jlu w ;is Llu• i u for live weeks ami on hip out- ri|u; fur tiiiiiiiuilily. In prison In; liad niixeil u'itli

;ill !;imlb of ci'iniiii;i!s. including lioumj

bieaker.<. Their iiit'tliuils of getting to work hi. l Inn I lica i'il discussed ami when In; came out. lio liad applied them, only to be caught and sent to prison for live years. For attempting to escape it was made seven. This 'man had told him that in his opinion prison was a school for criminals, and he had also spoken to linn of tilings that needed remedying. In discussing this case, which was hut. ianof others. Mr. Itielimoml said that lie, considered the methods of investigating complaints such as this man had made were inadequate, and until a sullieiently powerful body of public opinion could be Heated bill little could be done in changing them. The How aid League stood for mod l '] n methods in the treatment of offenders. Most of the people who were in prison welt: morally sick—something was the matter with them, and it was the work ol the league and of the public generally to lind out what was wrong with them and hmv to get them well again. Prisons really should be moral hospitals and that was what they were not. at the present time. Mi', lliehmond instanced two institutions in England where offenders wentreated on the most modern lines and where in consequence real reformative work was bring done. It. was worth remembering that, while in England criminality was decreasing, here in New /calami such thing could not be said. The matter deserved the deepest, study and investigation. In conclusion Mr. lliehmond made a. strong pica, for more members lo join the league. Among those who were present were:— Mrs. Axford, Mrs. Dewing, Mrs. (1. Ik'vore. Mrs. Tiarks, Mrs. -\. E. Devore, Mrs. W. Johnston, Mrs. Goodwin, Mrs. I'luiunier, Professor and Mrs. Knight, Dr. and Mrs. C. E. Maguire, Mrs. C. Keeble, J>r. and Mrs. Wood. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas. Dr. and Mrs. A\. M. Met 'oi inick, .Mrs. Victor Macky, Mrs. T. Tuilhope, Mrs. T. Tomlinsoii, Miss Dewing, Miss F. Murray, Miss Dewing, Miss Johnston, Mrs. Kerr, Miss Tills, Misses llcrrold, Miss Bartrum, Miss Adlinglou, Miss Workman. Mrs. llavmon'd, Miss King, Miss Towle, .Airs. Wilmott, Mrs. lllack, Mrs. arid Miss Bourne.