THE BORSTAL SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22024, 5 August 1933, Page 8

THE BORSTAL SYSTEM

TO THE EDITOR. Sit, — Yesterday I received a newspaper cutting,, headed “ Justices of the Peace,” which was evidently sent from some Government department in Wellington as it was enclosed in an envelope bearing an official stamp. The official stamp saved it, from being treated in the way in which one usually treat* anonymous communications. Someone, however, wishes me to answer it —on which particular point I know not, for, in the Governor-General’s speech of which it is a report there are several points one could spend some time in discussing. One hesitates to criticise any remarks made by the of our King and by such a splendid "man as our Governor-General. His ■ Excellency was evidently speaking at the annual meeting of the Auckland Justices of the Peace Association. It seems strange to me that there should be a body Qf laymen to do the work which can only be done by trained men, and why laymen wish to sit in judgment over their fellow-men is beyond me;—to my small mind this seems to be the work for iudges_ and stipendiary magistrates. There it is, however, and do words of mine will alter it. There ,is one. point-in his Excellency s speech for which this newspaper cutting was no doubt sent for me to see, and that is the Borstal system, I quote his remarks;— “I am glad to see your Interest In the Borstal system,” said his Excellency. “ I have seen a great deal of that system In Great Britain, Canada, and other countries, tut. I have not found anywhere In the world a Borstal Institution carried on more efficiently or hopefully than In Invercargill.—(Applause.) It seemed to me a real effort was being made there to Inspire In those young men a realisation that their lives were worth while—that they need not go abroad with the stamp of crime upon them, but that they had every opportunity of making good.” For some weeks I have been discussing the Borstal system in New Zealand, and have tried to interest the public in this important work by pointing out its many deficiencies in "New Zealand, Now, has the. Governor-General seen much of the Borstal system lit work in New Zealand or is his knowledge ■of it that of most distinguished Visitors? One cannot form a/fair' judgment of the Borstal system from brief visits to the institution. I repeat that the Borstal system in New Zealand is not a Borstal system in reality; it is really a prison system, and very little more,. , In a. conversation I had with the inspector of prisons (why an inspector of prison* if it is a Borstal ?) I tried to impress on him the great need of an inquiry into the system itself and into the conditions of the Borstal in Invercargill. As I have said before, the Borstals are under the wrong department, and in many ways there is much wrong The Minister of Justice denied certain statements I made in my first letter, and when I proved to him that they were true he has not .'replied. I am able to back up all I have said, and, what is more, I shall not allow the matter to drop until something is done. If our Borstals ate meant to be Borstals, then no money and pains should be spared to make them Borstals—that is, honest Borstals —but while they are what they are let us be honest and call them prisons! , I am willing to discuss the matter of the Borstal system in. New Zealand, and the Invercargill,.Borstal in particular, on any platform in New Zealand -and with any interested body of people. If I am wrong, why does not the Prisons Department prove me to be wrong? Here is my challenge and the department s opportunity.—J am, etc., K. D. Andrews-BaxTeb. All Saints’ Vicarage, Invercargill, August 3.