THE COLONY’S PRISONS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1536, 7 August 1901, Page 53

THE COLONY’S PRISONS

COLONEL HUME’S REPOET.

In his annual report to the Minister of Justice, Colonel JtLume (Inspector of Prisons) states that it is satisfactory to hud uring tJae past year there has been a dimirrutio nin crime, a considerable ro* duction in punishments for prison offen. ces, and a decided advancement in classi. fication- During the past year, he states, the daily average number of prisoners in the different prisons has been 529.29 males and 54.17 females, a de« crease on the previous year of 7.74 males and an increase of 0.19 females. This clearly shows that criminals are not increasing, and though the decrease point, ed out may look small, yet it must te recollected that during tlie year there was an increasing population. The a\e< rage percentage of prisoners according to population was 0.0707, as against 0.0735 in the previous year. The prisoners were maintained lasi year at a gross cost per head of £4B 9s a as against .£47 183 3d., and at a net cost of £29 4s 6d, as against .£3O 15s 4d in the year 1899. The gross totals are made up as follows:—staff supervision, .£3l 7s lid, as against £*3l 5s 8d; main* tenance, £l3 Is 2d, as against £l3 5s sd; and incidentals, £3 19s lid, as against £3 7s 2d. Of incidentals, £384 6s 5d is recouped to the Government —viz., Rail* way Department, £305 18s lid; and Post and Telegraph, £7B 7s 6d. uul of a total of 3253 males and 658 females received duringt the year 23 males were of superior education, 2918 males and 574 females were able to read and write, 103 males and 46 females could read only, wmlst 209 males and 65 females could neither read nor write.

The report contains the following pas' sage:—‘OAs the gaolers have nearly all reierred to- the objectionable practice of sending persons suitering from delirium cremens or drink to prisons for medical treatment, and supposed Lunatics for tern* porary remands, I feel it is hardly nece?. sary for me to again lodge my annual piotest. It is said that ail things come to those that wait; but an alteration ia this matter has not come yet, but is anxiously waited for.”

Colonel Hume points out that offences against women are increasing to an alarming extent all over the colony, and says:—“When selecting prisoners for tree-planting, I was astonished to find amongst the prisoners serving first sen. tences no less than thirty.nine out of a total of seventy-nine prisoners were serv. ing sentences for crimes of the above na. ture, the victims in some cases being infants, while others were near relatives of the criminal. It appears to me tliat, in roedr to suppress this class of crime, and probably stamp it out quickly, re* course must be had to the lash. If thes* ruffians knew that, if pronounced medically fit to receive it, one, two or three floggings would surely follow the convic* tions, we should, 1 think, soon see a diminution in these disgusting offences.** Mr P. S. Garvey, of the Wellington Prison, states in his report that th© officers are not all young men, and many would retire -and it would be in the interests of the service—if there was a superannuation fund on a basis similar tc that existing in the Police Force. The new classification system, granting pri' soners extra gratpity, visits and letters, was much appreciated by the prison is. The abolition of grades and the putting of the warders in second-class prisons under the new classification system is. sued by the Inspector of Prisons has nad a splendid effect. Mr Garvey recommends the establishment of an agricultu. ral prison. With regard to the I'ist Offenders* Probation Act, he states that in many cases the amounts ordered tio be paid by th© probationers are beyond then means.