BORSTAL RESULTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21147, 3 October 1930, Page 3

BORSTAL RESULTS.

TO THE EDITOB. Snt,—Can we in New 'Zealand quite fairly pat ourselves on the back re our " Borstal results ” as compared with those of the Old Country, when we know that the “ human material" dealt with there and here is so very different? From the last prisons’ report I learn that out of 176 direct committals to our Borstals last year no fewer than 63—that is, rather more than one-third of the cases, had not been previously convicted. In England, on the other hand, from a recent publication on the Borstals by the prison commissioners. I learn that, except in rare instances, 'first offenders are not sent to a Borstal at all, and that most English Borstal inmates have previously been convicted many times. This means that in New Zealand we are claiming as Borstal successes oases that could quite as successfully have been dealt with on probation. A London magistrate visiting here last year told us that there Borstal was the very last resource, and that lads were sometimes given probation as often as five times, it being recognised that a probation failure may mean in some cases a failure to find the right treatment on the part of the probation officer, not a deliberate failure on the offender's part. If we sent cases of croup to our T.B. .sanatoria, we could no doubt boast of a number of “cures”

in New Zealand that would easily outdo the best results, apparently, of countries less inclined to stand the expense, and also the occasional risk involved. But would the comparison be fair?—l am, etc.. , B. E. Batjghan. Sumner, October 1.