MORE INMATES OF BORSTAL

Southland Times, Issue 25434, 5 August 1944, Page 3

MORE INMATES OF BORSTAL

INCREASE NOTED BY SUPERINTENDENT On January 1, 1943, there were 140 inmates in the institution, stated the superintendent of the Invercargill Borstal Institution, Mr R. W. Arnold, in ms report, which is contained in the annual report of the Prisons Department tor the year ended on December 31, 1940. During the year 155 persons were received and 141 were discharged, leaving 154 in custody on December 31, 1945, continued the report. The greatest nu ™" her in custody at any one time was iw and Ike least number was 132. The daily average was 141.12. r . Six males were in the reformatory section on January 1. Thirty-five males and one female were admitted and the same number were discharged during the year, leaving six males in custody on December 31, 1943. The greatest number in custody at any one time Was six and the least number one. The daily average was 3.27. ■ The number of Borstal inmates admitted to the Southland Hospital during the year was 38. It was an exceptionally high number, the yearly average being about 12. However, in many cases the boy had the defect or trouble before he came to the institution and the medical officer considered that it should be remedied without delay. “In the majority of cases this institution is not the first attempt by the State to turn a lad from his erroneous ways and give him a better idea of his social, duties,” stated the report. “An examination of records, therefore, proves interesting. Of the 155 received here in 1943, 58 were on probation when they committed the offence which led to committal to borstal. Of this number, 23 had previously been under the care of the Cihld Welfare Officer, and eight both under the Child Welfare Officer and in Weraroa Boys’ Training Farm. Of the remaining 97, 55 had been under the Child Welfare Officer, 15 under the, Child Welfare Officer and in Weraroa, and two in Weraroa. Three had been fined and three convicted, and discharged. That leaves drily 19, who, as far as is known, were first offenders. Of the 155, 20 had been in the institution on a previous occasion.” An examination of a list ,of the various offences for which the 155 persons were admitted showed that theft was the most common. Sixty-seven were admitted for theft, 21 for truck and car conversion, 17 for breaking, entering and theft, 11 for the theft of bicycles and eight for car conversion and theft. Other offences were breaches of probation, rape, false pretences, assault and being idle and disorderly. There were seven escapes during 1943, which was about the average for the past four years. All escapees were recaptured' within a short time.