THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, 19th MARCH, 1906. INDETERMINATE SENTENCES.

Southland Times, Issue 19768, 19 March 1906, Page 2

THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, 19th MARCH, 1906. INDETERMINATE SENTENCES.

Thr matter which Ihe ih ■ 11' 1 1 ,ii inn from the In Vi -rca rgi 11 Iht>i <•• i f and I Visoii'-rs' A ii.l Society brought before the lion. Minister in' JiMinc mi his recent visit to Invercargill was one ol' li isl -ra I e i in) >or I a nee In Ihe column nii y . In tile 1 1 i >ciis.-i on ol the problem how to lieal ei' li t lie eon - licnici 1 cri:n i11:i i. ami ho u o * (n oi 'S > I lie |inlii ie t reai i the ,-|nvail ol crlniiid lily, tlic iiuleierniinai i- ein .■lice lias assumed lare.cr ami larger proporl ions ami has aI i rail oil an even increasing nnnilier ol siipli l irb rs. i hvsiii inn' over recent sit tine- oi the Supreme. (,'oUl'l in I lit viva re i 11, liis IToiioiic Mr Justice Williams slainpeil the inJel enniinit e s-tiiein-e with his approval. 'lie- hrst speaker on b■ha I i of Ihe deputation from tile l'at j ei 1 1s and Prisoner,-.’ Aid Soeieiy was Ihe I'i'oiiii I’i'osecnt or in Inver-

cargill, and after hearing wlia! the j deputation had to sa.\ , (he Minister ? confessed him.-elf a eoiiveri to the i ndelerm imi t e sentence. I imse lo>al signs are merely indicaiiw m ttm trend of op'inion throughout t lie judicial world in recent years, and jj- is no! too much to say that the theory of the indeterminate sentence is now widely accepted by those who are f['ia 1 if!■ •<I to speak wit It authority in regard to eriminal law and the treatment of havimal criminals. From Ihe layman’s point of \ h-w I lie indeterminate sentence has y\et\I hilt"- lo recommend it. tor it seems to he an arbitrary calculation which professes to allot an exact term oi years as 11m precise measure ol punishment for a particular ol’femv. Attain, it is now recognised that Ihe fund ion of the law extends fuiihei than to exact a penalty from Ilf crim’inal it seeks. if possi. le. to protect society permanently and lo reform the criminally disposed. it cannot lie said that under the present svstem cither of these nin.s is eliwtively served, for tile records of the Police Court show I lial in instances the olfeiv.ler is released from confinement merely to olleijd

attain, to folio .v Itis unlaw ml [n.et'iees at the expense ol' society aml to deepen his own eriminal propensities into incurable vice, lor years he mav lie a source of constant anxiety and loss to <h" community, and'in the long run he will be found in gaol again, a continued and hopeless criminal. These are the facts that must he recognised. and lo meet the defects of I lie system now obtaining; the indeterminate salience is suggested. ITider lids scheme the criminal's term of imprisonment, would not lie defined by -the Judge , it would he in the discrel ion of competent authorities to decide when lie should he released, or whether he should be released at all. As Mr T. M. Macdonald pointed out lo the Minister, there is n cim-s of prisoners who may- he termed hopele.-s criminals, men who from the agv of Id or 17 up to I", practically Mve in gaol and are absolutely incorrigible criminals. 1 nder tin* indeieiminale sentence. eitiminals of this class would he protected from themselves ; they would if kept, out oi the roach of temptation, and society would lie sat'eguarJed against theii predatory instincts. 1 lie sysiem is undoubtedly - one that desm-Ves a lair trial, ami it is to he hoped that the result of tile represei l l a 1 ions made ro the Minister of Just ice by the Prisoners' and I’atien's' ' t °n i;ties of Otago and Southland will he to strengthen his iiwlinal ion to introduce a measure during the forth coming session which will give the indeterminate sentence statutory recognition in New Zealand.

In bringing this nmttor nnler the nolico of tho Minister tho local Society has done K'Ood service to tho public. n service tvhieh is in beeping

with the excellent work It is doing in Invercargill. The work of the Patients’ and Prisoners’ Aid tlf.clety is carried out wit hout show or ostentation, hut there is every reason to believe dint it makes for the moral improvement of the community, and i lie up-lifting of many who without such friendly .succour would drift farther and farther from the course of rectitude and usefulness.