A MODERN REFORMATORY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7302, 5 December 1910, Page 9

A MODERN REFORMATORY

VISIT TO A NEW SOUTH WALES INSTITUTION. (J. Mauder.) By tho courtesy of Mr AlacFarlanc, Comptroller-General of Prisons, I was recently shown over the New South Wales State Reformatory for Women. This institution, which was opened a year last autumn,, is one of the most, probably tho most up-to-dato of the kind in thp world. Aliss Muriel Mathers, the English suffragette, declared that it was fifty years ahead of anything in England,

and much in advance of those in the other Australian States. , That this marked advance is entirely due to the enlightened men in charge of the institution is only too evident. I found both Mr MacFariarie and the local superintendent, Mr W, Urquhant, thoroughly imbued with the most humane and 'practical ideas Tor the treatment of tho ■ degraded women under their care. Not only that —their attitude of mind towards tho whole subject of crime and criminals is that of tho doctor towards the patient. They realise that it is quite useless to expect people to improve physically and morally if they are subjected to treatment that would make a moral person immoral or a strong one weak. To a large extent they proceed along the lines indicated bj hypnotism. They expect their patients to improve, and they treat them asuf they were improving. I must say it was cheering to seo such men in, the happy position of being free to do what they wanted to. Their suggestions have, had tho endorsement of , a thoughtful and sympathetic Ministry. Nowhere have they been hampered with • annoy mg restrictions or antiquated methods. Xhe result is that the whole place has been planned, not only for tho present, hut tor the future. If provides for the health, the useful employment, the recreation, and tho grading ox some *.Uu women. There are, two sections; one lor inebriates, the other- for non-alcoholic cases. Bach section is kept absolutely separate. 1 was shown first over the quarters occupied by tho staff. These are not unnecessarily ornate. , Thefe were designed for comfort and use. r inspected, the library used by the patients. It was not the antiquated lugubrious affair that I have found in many a place with more pretensions 'to cheerfulness. X spend imany happy hours there myseli; “We don’t see why even-the worst, ot our patients should not learn to appreciate' humour,” - Said Mr Urquhart, taking out a novel by Jerome K. Jerome. We? then went over the inebriates quarters. Great attention is paid both in this and tho criminal section to. tho 'wise grading of tho inmates. Many little privileges are allowed for good bo-, haviour, and everything is done to encourage good work and attention to . tho necessary rules. The better class inebriates .have iron bedsteads with mattresses, are allowed to decorate then rooms with photographs, pictures,. Biaft, etc., have the-'use of. the electric light till 9 o’clock at night,, and have more variety of employment. • Each section has its own dormitories, laundry, sewingroom, storerooms, bathrooms, kitchpn, and dining hall.' All these buildings are detached and one-storeyed, with the exception of the dormitories, which have, a wide central hall down their entue ■ length, with long landings above on either side, the whole being lit by large windows at each end. Eveiywhere there is light and air. Every, room and every cell has its electric light and e lect ric boll. Broad strips of drugget run the whole length of the domitory, hulls, and mats are allowed for the colder,: floors. I examined with interest tho cells ot the worst type of inmate. In the course ot wandering about the north, of- New, land I have , ofteu' slept m- far worse places. These cells are well lit and extremely airy. They have white ceilings amd tinted walls.' The beds are broad canvas hammocks, hung,crosswise and attached to iron hooks. They are uued every morning, then rolled up with the bedding and put in a storeroom; fox.-tho day. Tn each' cell are good - sized corner, shelves—on -which ,1 saw frequent. evidence that the library was apprcciatedand a comfortable stool.; The bathrooms interested me partidularly. They are very much hotter than those found in the majority of working men’s .homes, and unquestionably far? cleaner, au modern conveniences for heating water have of course, been provided. In tho largo kitchens wo found dinner m progress. Many of ; the . aids to labour here wore quite new to me. The fare- w<is plainly, but well cooked, and the utensils spotless. The; soup looked, and was excellent, and tliere's ,no , doubt that hundreds of , -our - poorer ; working class, faro very much worse. In the laundries and sewingrooms X found the greater number of the . inmates ■at work on clothing of various kinds mad©,.to. the

order of the Government for its different institutions; Thb greater number -of the prisoners have to bo taught to lauiider and to, sew, but 7 Miss Lovell, the assistant matron; - told •me they are all most willing to learn, and soon display pride in the work. Indeed there is great rivalry for pride of place, 1 saw machine work that was equal to any turned out 1 by the factories.; Mr Urquhart: told me that* an immense number of garments had been made during the year, and that the work thus, done saved; the Government a big expenditure-elsewhere. .It is hoped that before long the reformatory will bo very largely self-supporting.: The laundry work for the large Coast Hospital close by is also done by , the prisoners.

Surrounding all these; buildings are i fine , open spaces with large - , flower and vegetable beds. Mr Urquhart showed mo with pardonable, pride a splendid potato; patch, and' -the r- beginnings of a rosary. A circular building, with a domed roof and coloured windows, proved to bo a general reading-room, whore: one very, wisoned. old warrior, - who. had - seen things not of: earth, . was tending cam aries. In the inebriate hospital ward wo found end patient,; the ;only one -in the ,-institution, for : on this beautiful elevation by the sea* few save the incoming inebriates ever require the services of the-, resident medical niiin. ; ■: Now, all this may; sound like the prisoners’ millennium. And there are good , people who will* smile and shake their heads, and say .that this,, sort of thing will encourage people to break the law. .Well, wo have yet lo discover, that brutality and severity .have deterred the criminal, or have reformed him, or lessened him numerically. - We have yet to learn that the past has olfoved any encouragement or help whatever to the reformation of the enemy of the law. Punishment,- and punishment only has been the object ainied'at, : And punish-' meqt has failed absolutel}'.; The fact is, we want to change the' whole’of public opinion regarding these : unfortunate people who . are physically and morally unfit to stand up to the degrading influences surrounding them. M o want more reformatories and fewer gaols. - And above all we need longer periods of detention. It is absolutely useless to send alcoholic cases: and habitual'criminals to gaol for a month, or : three months, or six months. No permanent good can he done by such stupidity. At Long Bay f saw a number of girls under 20 taficu from the streets of Sydney. When they entered the institution they were dreadfully: dirty, and able to earn their living only in ono way. 'They are now being trained to bo clean, to cook, to sew, and to do laundry work. They drill daily in the open air, they are well fed, they are kindly treated, and undoubtedly two or three years of such training and’environment would see them well able to earn a : decent living, and probably inclined to do so, whereas six months would see the change only just begun. And even if it is to be a matter of years for most cases both the individual and the State are the better for the detention. Given

such reformatories as Long Bay there is no harshness and no injustice about a sentence extending over years- Of the 160 odd women there, all taken from the very lowest class, there is not one who is not incomparably better off there than in her former surroundings.. And more than that, from being a menace to society and a blot on our civilisation, the vicious women arc suddenly transformed into useful and contented citizens. .Air Urquhart told me that it was amazing how little trouble they had to enforce the rules. Tho privileges allowed and the humane treatment generally were obviously appreciated, even bi’ tho most hardened. Can one doubt for a moment the effects of such treatment, if only it be long enough? I was particularly impressed with tho attitude of the patients towards the staff as wc went tho rounds. Everything asked for was done most willingly. I spoke to several who were quit© free to stop what they wore doing and reply. There was an entire absence of resentment, overbearing, or red tape. Nothing appeared to be secret. The staff were only too pleased to show everything that was to be seen. To me there was no gaol atmosphere anywhere, but only that of the hospital, the home, and the workroom. There can be no doubt at all in the minds of all thoughtful people that it is high time w© did reform our methods of dealing with our. handicapped fellow creatures, and if we can by detention in reformatories, train them to useful trades, teach them habits ot order and cleanliness, and better fit them'to live decently "outside, then we should hasten to do so. Tho New .South Wales Department is so certain of its duty and so hopeful of good results that it is now building a duplicate reformatory at Long Bay for men, where useful traces will be taught. A$ the inmates leave either section they will be decently clothed, if necessary, by the Department, and recommendations as to character and ability given wherever possible. I, cannot conclude without a further reference to tho courtesy and the willingness of tho staff* in making me acquainted with.' the methods. employed. I only wish itr were possible for the general public, especially ‘magistrates and judges, to regularly “visit such a place, so that they might realise how useless are short sentences, and that there is.no injustice in placing people, tor years, under the care of men imbued with the fine euthusiasm and enlightened ideas of Mr MacFarlane and -Mr Urquhart. r :: ■ v : .