PRISON REFORM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12698, 16 March 1910, Page 5

PRISON REFORM.

DR FINDLAY'S SCHEME

(Per' Press Association.) WELLINGTON,.; this d^y. The Hon. Dr Findlay,' Minister oi Justice, gave particulars ; of, his prison reform scheme to a NeAv, Zealand . Times reporter Inkt ni^ht. ' The provisions oi the indeterminate sentence' are; extended and made applicable to*; all cases, though the determinate sentence Avill be retained in -all proper cases. The following institutions are provided for: Penitentiaries for male prisoners, institution for sexual perverts and- Criminals of unsound mind, institution for incorrigible drunkards, prison camps, reformatory farm, penitentiary and! reformatory for AvOmen. Provision .is. made for the extension of the probation system; -and for dealing with occasional ;and habitual drunkards. Prisoners are to be clnssi: fied on a.double basis/ first .'as; to-type;-secondly, as to. conduct and improvement. The case of eA'ery, prisoner sentenced to indeterminate sentence will be reyie>ved eA-ery three months. Every prisoner, by performing his task, 'will earri credit marks having a definite monetary value. The relief of dependants of a prisoner will be a first charge on his earnings. All physically capable prisoners i will be employed on remunerative works, 'such as stonemasonry, ironmouldirig, tiriware, making book; covers; and ; brickmaking. Education \'■ will be provjided f dr illiterates, enabling - fourth standard requirements . m reading, writuig, \apd arithmetic to be passed. Ah extehsiori ■of the . prison Camp system" is proposed, taking' m 'occupations 7 other than. .treeVplanting. Special provisions are -made for the /classification of drunkards. ;7 •■'.•, „/-;. * Dr Findlay considers that the scheme, when, m; full operation, will shoAv great saA ; ing over the present system. The scheme is adapted to meet present and prospective requirements . of this country; also to utilise. as far as possible the building, 'equip^e,n.t ; ,'' and administrative machinery ; .ttlKeadjr -.'lexistirig; ■- Besides S ! Ute- iristitutid&is:,' official recognition-* isgiven "to the-' w'oi'k'^f tpnvatk agencies? arid their assistance is requisitioned AvhoresoeA'er available and . adaptable. When an indeterminate senterice is applied the release of a prisoner depends upon himself.- The 7 conditions of .Release' are, determined by a tribunal of suitable experts, except m the case . of any person convicted of a criipe punishable by 'hard labor for life. PoAver to release shall be exercisable by the Governor-in-Cbuncil. ' . Privileges' are placed Avithin the attainment of prisoners, but can be gained only by moral and industrial improvement. According to the first classification prisoners are distributed to divisions of various institutions and agencies. Accordiiig to the second they are graded within those institutions. In the classification of criminals'". at work care is exercised to direct the minds into channels which are out of "sympathy with their former manner of life. Prisoners may allow their earnings to accumulate and receive them on discharge. It is 'intended to employ all physically capablemen to remunerative works. Thus men gain an industrial training that, is useful of) release. The products of their labor will; be used by tlie '-department, and not compete Avith outside labor. In the extension of the canip' system, camps for quarrying building stone, manufacturing cement, and making bricks are to be situated m such parts of the Dominion as Avill enable their products to-be easily loaided into scoavs and distributed.. The agricultural reformatory is 'to ''be on- a site which has been selected near enough to means of transit to avoid the cost of carriage becoming a, Aveighty expense. It is to be far enough away to avoid intercommunication, laxity of discipline, or facilities to escape. It will contain about 1200 'acres, possibly more. Farm, ing Avill bo carried out 1 iri all its branches.