The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1935. FEWER PRISONERS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13091, 26 October 1935, Page 4

The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1935. FEWER PRISONERS.

We Fear frequent, complaint that moral standards are becoming lower with, the attendant, suggestion that breaches of the law leading to improvement are correspondingly more numerous. Rut the figures as disclosed in the report of the Prisons Department do not bear this argument out. For instance, the total number of district offenders handled during 1934 was 26 per cent, less than in 1931 and the prisoners received fell from 3203 to 2376. Of these 1416 were New Zealand born, 211 were Maoris and 749 were of British and foreign parentage. The proportion at New Zealand born offenders is comparatively smaJJ. The system of probation has largely helped in the' improvement of the position. While imposing fairly exacting restrictions the probation system gives an offender another chance, enables him to win back his self-respect without for ever afterwards carrying the stigma of a prison record. That probation has proved a success is shown in the fact that only S per cent, oi those c.n probation had failed to carry out the conditions and only half of them had committed new criminal oli'ences. The saving resulting from the probation of 2170 offenders instead of sending them to gaol was very considerable but the gain in better mental outlook of those offenders was immeasurably greater. The probation of men serving sen-

tences did not always find favour with certain sections of the public but it is pleasing to record that of 371 released last year only two were recommitted to prison for a breach of the probation conditions and 29, including six habitual criminals, had their licenses cancelled for further offences. This is actually a. splendid record ancl a. remarkable tribute to the general efficiency of the Prisons Department.