CAREER OF SERVICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 672, 25 May 1929, Page 6

CAREER OF SERVICE

MR. M. HAWKINS’S DEATH

PRISON REFORMER Forty-one years’ service in the Prisons Department were behind Mr. Michael Hawkins, who died suddenly yesterday morning at his residence, Keith Avenue, Remuera. Mr. Hawkins was known throughout New Zealand for his work as a prison reformer. He was 65 years of age. As an officer of the department, Mr. Hawkins became prominently, associated with the introduction of the Borstal system into the Dominion. He was also connected with the launching of several other reformatory plans under which prisoners did useful work. In February, 1926, Mr. Hawkins retired from the department after establishing a reputation in connection with the placing of the prison system on a Aiodern and humane basis. Mr. Hawkins rose above the mere infliction of punishment. A strict disciplinarian with a full knowledge of his work, he was popular in the service. Mr. Hawkins was born at Bangor. County Down, Ireland, and went to America when he was 19. He returned to Ireland and then came out to New Zealand, arriving at Lyttelton in 1884. He became a warder and then building instructor when Mount Cook Prison, Wellington, was being constructed. By 1914, Mr. Hawkins was director of prisons. Later he was inspector and then, in 1924, ControllerGeneral. He remained in this position for two years. Up to the time of his death Mr. Hawkins was managingdirector of the New Era Brick Company, Waitakere. Largely through Mr. Hawkin’s work the Invercargill Reformatory Prison* and the Waikeria institution were established. The prison tree-planting work at Rotorua and the prison brickworks at Trentham were other schemes sponsored by him. Mr. Hawkins frankly advanced the view that it was the duty of the department to make a genuine attempt to reform offenders, as well as punish them. He' impressed this fact deeply in the policy of the department during his long term in positions of responsibility. As inspector, it was Mr. Hawkin’s duty to attend no. fewer than 16 hangings. One of the many exciting incidents his career was when 50 prisoners working at Otago Heads actually started a mutiny to overpower seven warders. Mr. Hawkins and other warders had to hold up the mutineers with rifles.