BORSTAL INSTITUTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18347, 10 September 1921, Page 6

BORSTAL INSTITUTION

EPIDEMIC OF ESCAPES. PUBLIC UNEASY. ‘(From Opr Own Correspondent.) , INVERCARGILL, September 9. There are upholders of the old prison methods who argue that life in such reformatories as the Invercargill Borstal Institution is a bed of roses, and inclines to stimulate a desire for residence within the walls, father than a resolution to stay without them; but the recent record of escapes, and attempted escapes, by no means Blipports the contention. Attached to the institution is a farm of some 600 acres, where the prisoners work in gangs, sometimes under the supervision of a warder, but in. the case of those "supposed to _bo trustworthy, the arm of authority is often a goodly distance from the scene of their labours. Working under such conditions, attempted escapes were naturally not unknown among the men, but recently quite an epidemic of them has occurred. One day about three months ago a youth rode away on a warder’s bicycle, and he has not returned. This successful break .seems to have encouraged others to go and do likewise, and despite the. fact that substantial increases to their sentences have resulted in the case of those captured, there does not seem to be any slackening in the attempts. Ten days ago two men, one of whom has a particuttirlv bad record, got away, and so far tho only traces have been the burglaries that are attributed to them. Yesterday another pair got away, and held up a baker’s cart, but a. posse of warders happening to be in the vicinity at the time —on another mission—to them the driver told his experience. One was recaptured immediately, and the other secured by nightfall. It can he understood readily that the publio are inclined to be uneasy at these continued efforts to escape, especially as a fair proportion are proving successful Time was when tho was looked on as an acquisition to the town from the business viewpoint, but there are now more who look on it as something of a misfortune. This applies particularly to the police, who aro having an harassing time responding to false alarms from people who declare by telephone in the night hours that prisoners aro in tho fowlyard.