BORSTAL INSTITUTE

Southland Times, Issue 22146, 14 October 1933, Page 6

BORSTAL INSTITUTE

CRITICISM AT SYNOD. TREATMENT OF INVERCARGILL INMATES. (Per United Press Association.) Dunedin, October 13. The Rev. H. D. Andrews-Baxter, of Gladstone, referred at the Anglican Synod to the treatment accorded to the inmates of the Borstal at Invercargill. He said the institution was under the wrong department and that the officers were prison-trained men. Whereas a man was sentenced to three months for the theft of a watch, a boy for the same offence was sentenced to three years in the Borstal because the Magistrates thought it was a training school, but really they were sentencing the boys to three years in prison. In the case of a boy given solitary confinement everything was taken from his cell in the morning except the wire mattress and the Bible. That was all he had till 10 p.m. He must learn to hate the Bible. The cells were badly ventilated with no winter heating. This form of punishment might last from one to six days. It was barbarous to treat boys so. The speaker stated that he had been plainly told a chaplain would not be appointed. It was resolved to appoint a commission to report on the need of better spiritual ministration in Government institutions.