PRISON ADMINISTRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2927, 20 April 1910, Page 4

PRISON ADMINISTRATION.

CLOSING SMALL GAOLS

' t WELLINGTON, April 14. "The Government has decided on my recommendation that the Napier Gaol shall be closed," said the Hon. Dr Findlay (Minister of Jxistice) to a Post reporter this morning. " I arrived at the determination to close a number of gaols m New Zealand," he added, " for various reasons. Firstly, because the multiplication of gaols stood in the way of proper classification and reformatory treatment based upon proper classification. ' , Secondly, because some of these gaols were unnecessary, and the cost of maintaining prisoners in them, pro-" bably due to the fact that prison labour was almost wholly 1 unremunerative, was excessive. At Hokitika, for instance, where the gaol has been closed, the average cost of maintaining prisoners was over £7O a year each. The cost of maintenance at the Wanganui Gaol, which has been closed, was also high." "It is part of my scheme," the Minister continued, " both on the score of proper scientificreformatory treatment,' and also on the score of economy, to close such gaols. In some cases this cannot be done until the prison farm, the preparation of which is now being pushed on, is far enough advanced to receive the prisonei's from those gaols." As regards the Napier Gaol, prison labour there is for a number of reasons exceptionally unremunerative. I find that for the years 1907, 1908, and 1909 the total annual earnings of each prisoner do not amount to more than £3. That is to say, the State has find the' total cost of maintaining able-bodied men, the value of whose labour does not exceed on the average £3 a year, and the reason why the Napier Gaol should be closed i 6 that we have to face two alternatives: We must either close it or rebuild it. The present building is very old and delapidated, audi in any case the time is rapidly approaching when the Government would have to adopt one or other of the alternatives I have mentioned. Also, the site of tha Napier Gaol is one of the most picturesque and valuable in that part of the . town which faces the esplanade, and if it is not required for a prison site it could no doubt be devoted to a much more useful purpose. When the gaol at Hokitika was closed the department established what is called a police gaol for the housing and detention of prisoners awaiting trial or those sentenced to short terms of imprisonment for smaller offences. Such gaols serve for Timaru and other centres. They are worked in conjunction with the Police Force, and cost a fraction of "the expense of running a fully equipped penal gaol; Provision will be made at Napier for such a gaol. Under the new system/ of farm work and prison industry 1 have every confidence," remarked the'Minister in conclusion, "that we' can save the pockets*, of the community thousands of pounds a year for the maintenance of our prisoners, and at the same time carry 00 reformatory work-"