THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY AUGUST 10. 1907. THE PRISONS REPORT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13985, 19 August 1907, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY AUGUST 10. 1907. THE PRISONS REPORT.

The annual departmental report on the prisons of the colony contains, as usual, interesting and important information in regard to the section of our population which is least calculated to bo a subject of national pride. It is instructive to examine, to what extent New Zealaaders are a law-abiding people and at what cost the community is protected by the law against those who have broken the law. The prison population of any country naturally varies a good deal, and the number of persons who pass through its prisons during a year is always many times greater than the gaol population at any particular period in that year. The reason for this is entirely obvious. At the end of last year 891 persons were in detention in the various gaols of this colony, whereas throughout the year as many as 6046 persons passed through these institutions. In arriving, however, at the actual number of different persons in durance during tlio year allowance must be made for the fact that the same individual often pays more than

ono visit to ;t house of correction within twelve months. Special interest attaches to tlio rate at which our gaol population is increasing, or, if we are fortunate, diminishing. Last year's prison census showed an increase of' eightyone inmates over the record for the last day of the preceding year, while the year's total of prison entries was 257 in excess of thnt for 1905. On the last day of 1906 there wore 10 per cent, more prisoners in our gaols than on the last day of 1905, and in three years the increase has been 20 per cent., the number of prisoners at the end of 1903 having been 739. In view of a decrease in the number of gaol inmates such as our neighbours in New South Wales, for instance, can point, to year after : year, the figures dealing with New Zealand prisons are not particularly cheering, Colonel Hume singles out the increase we have referred to as one requiring explanation. It is suggested that 1 it may bo a penalty that New Zea- ' land is paying for being so attractive 1 to undesirable characters by reason of ' its recent' Exhibition and its generally 1 flourishing state. However that may I be, there was no Exhibition to account ( for the increase in 1905. Last year, it ' is worth noting, the daily average number of inmates of the various prisons ■ of the colony showed an increase almost 1 identical with that revealed in the 1 prison population as it stood at the 1 end of the year. In the decade ending 1 in December, 1905, the gaol population 1 decreased in New South Wales by 775, ' in Victoria by 319, in Queensland by ! 52, in Tasmania by 34, and in South 1 Australia by 17, while New Zealand, in 1 contrast, was debited with an increase ' of 290. Again, we find that in the past 1 thioe years this colony's prison popula- ' tion has increased by more than half its c increaso in the ten years mentioned, 3 which shows that the increase has been 1 larger of late years. All this does not, ' of course, necessarily mean that in a ' comparison of criminal statistics New 8 Zealand would compare unfavourably f with some of the Australian State?. It is all a, question of the ratio existing between prison population and total population. While that ratio is being reduced in some of the States and is t increasing in New Zealand, there is in 5 the fact nothing to show that in a comparison New Zealand would not c hold a very fa vourable position as regards immunity from crime. However, we * hope the tendency of the pendulum to ' swing the other way in the early part ® of this year has been sustained. Can we point in New Zealand to consistent t efforts at prison reform such as have '' been made in New South Wales with V a large measure of attendant success? ® Colonel Hume remarks that, while state- * ments are made from time to time to 11 the effect that there should be a, better 0 classification of prisoners tin our gaols '' than is at prevent carried out, these ? remarks generally emanate from persons' ' who do not know and will not take the 1 trouble to inquire. The classifications c adopted as far as practicable are: To S keep entirely separate from adults young ?! prisoners likely to' be contaminated by ' association with their older comrades in crime, a classification of prisoners doing their first sentences, and a classi- ° fication of the other inmates of the f ' gaols. Of course, the phrase "as far as is practicable" is somewhat elastic. Interesting reference is made in the Prisons Report to the operation of the j, First Offenders' Probation Act, which jy has of late had somo prominence a given to its merits or demerits. The P Inspector of Prisons for New Zealand, after quoting the statistics with refer- * ence to cases brought under the Act, £ tells us that the record speaks for itself 0 , and shows that the Act has been a success from its inception. The statistics j show that 101 persons were placed on R , probation last- year, and that of the I 1869 persons so placed since the Act p came into operation 15G7 have been dis- ,J charged after satisfactorily carrying out si the conditions of their licenses, 104 were a real rested and sentenced to various terms if imprisonment, 39 absconded, " and 151 still remain fulfilling the terms of their licenses. In short 83 per cent. 0 havo done well, and only 2 per cent. , of offenders on probation have eluded the vigilance of the probation officer g and the police and escaped. Most R popple will be satisfied with such an d argument from actual results, and will g be disposed to quite agree with the * remarks made last week by District 11 Judge Kettle as to the working of the 0 Act in question. None the less promi- * nent in the Prisons Report is a rather * severe impeachment of the Act and its efficacy by the late governor of the t Auckland Gaol, from which we quote q the following: "Undoubtedly there is 0 a greatly increased tendency to crime o in New Zealand of late years, particularly among young people, who appear j to think that this Act permits them to c commit crime without punishment pro- \ viding they have not been previously r convicted. This is a most dangerous idea to get abroad, and has, I believe, h been a great incentive to crime." Such ii a view from an experienced officer who ' had administered the Act from itsiince- t] tion cannot he ignored, and may have * a good deal of justification despite the lecord to which Colonel Hume points l . 0 That- the utmost possible discrimination t is required in the administration of the Fiist Offenders' Probation Act is no more e than a logical conclusion on the subject, C for fear of consequences is admittedly ( a wholesome deterrent to crime. A 1 number of other matters of interest are ? touched on in the report. The Inspector ) speaks well of the tree-planting prisons, ( where 126 prisoners find occupation, and (: ne considers the amount, of work done e at these places a credit to all concerned. J Comment as to the operation of le<*is- ' lation so recent a.s that embodied in the l Habitual Criminals and the Habitual !j Drunkards Acts is necessarily brief, and v Colonel Hume's remark that the latter r measure is already doine; good and that t the Habitual Criminals Act should make the colony unpopular with the undesir- j able stranger is about as definite a pro- t nouncement on these subjects as can he a looked for at present. «