NEW ZEALAND PRISONS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 138, 17 July 1914, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND PRISONS.

LAST YEAR'S WORKING. ANNUAL REPORT TO PARLIAMENT [From our own Parliamentary Eeporter.] WELLINGTON, July 16. The report of the Prisons Branch of the Department of Justice, which was laid on the table of the House of Representatives to-day, shows that there was an increase in the number of prisoners received during the year, but this was due to abnormal conditions prevailing during a portion of the year, and not to a general increase of crime. The daily average throughout the year shows a decrease on that of 1912.

The expenditure shows an increase over last year, but this is due principally to development work at Invercargill, Waikeria, and Addington, increase of staff in connection therewith, purchase of necessary plant, and expense of transfer of prisoners to these prisons. The credits received show a considerable increase—£73B2 as against £5431 last year. The work of providing more up-to-date prison buildings, says the report, has been steadily pressed forward, and additions at Auckland and Invercargill have been completed. Further additions to these prisons are in hand. A number of improvements in the more unsuitable buildings —notably at Lyttelton, where the removal of the female prisoners to Addington has enabled the female ward to be converted for the use of prisoners sentenced to reformative treatment, and the separation of waiting-trial prisoners and debtors —have been carried out. This is a distinct- improvement on the conditions prevailing hitherto. At Waikeria the work of erecting the new building is well in hand, and the first section should be completed in about twelve months' time. ■ 7 .

"The question of the profitable employment and payment of prisoners," continued the report, ''is one that is often referred to by prison critics, and as it may appear that nothing is being done, it may not be out of place to again , refer to this subject. AsJias often been said before, the necessity of avoiding competition with'free labour cannot be disregarded. Without remunerative labour, either in the State or as a return from commercial industries, there can be but little extension in the direction of the payment of wages to prisoners, and the matter is one that must be approached with extreme caution if an undue burden is not to be placed on the general taxpayer. A beginning has been made in the case of habituals and reformative prisoners, but Until sufficient remunerative employment can be found it is well to hasten slowly. It may, however, be fairly claimed that at no time in the history of prison administration in the Dominion-■ has the profitable employment of prisoners been so great as at the present time. In this connection reference may be made to the work being done at Invercargill, Waikeria, and the tree-planting camps. . "At invercargill la concrete blockmaking industry has been established, and blocks are being made for piiblic buildings and for'jaale to the public for private dwellings. Vegetable gardening is being carried on, and the produce is sold to the public, A large reclama : tion scheme is being carried out for the Borough Council by prisoners under the supervision of the gaoler, who has been i practically responsible for the whole work. The total area reclaimed is about 2000 acres. The return to the Department for the prisoners' labour will be the acquirement of 650 acres of first-class farm land, which, it is stated by those in a position to judge, will be worth at least £2O an acre, and this land will be utilised as a prison farm for the training of youthful offenders. "At Waikeria, where the Department has some 1500 acres of land, the first prison farm in New Zealand has been established, and, although only a! short time has elapsed, some 300 acres j have been cleared and brought into cultivation. Concrete-block making has also been started there, and the prison and farm buildings. will be built by prison labour with-blocks made on .the! spot, there being a large quantity of j splendid material available in the river bounding the property. Blocks will also be supplied for the erection of the main buildings of the Mental Hospital, which will be located not very far away. The acquirement of an area of farm land in Canterbury, on which an up-to-date prison can be built to replace the unsuitable building at Lyttelton, will afford further opportunity for the extension of the policy decided* upon of providing for the employment in agricultural pursuits of prisoners, who are mostly derived from the unskilled class; and the training of youthful offenders in an occupation which will enablethem to obtain suitable employment on their release. The prisoners at the tree-; planting camps are doing work which will ultimately be of great value to the community, but it is, of course, not immediately remunerative. "There is, however, a large proportion of prisoners—what may be called the, floating prison population, persons who are continually in and out of prison on short sentences, many of them derelicts —for whom it will always be difficult to find profitable employment. Ip time, however,; Something iiiay be t c*oneeven for these. It is £ioiii\ Ibej nrison'farms that the best; results may be expected, and, ; properly directed-and carried on, these institutions will without doubt in time become more than self-supporting and relieve the commun-' ity of a large portion of the cost of maintenance of prisoners, who, like the poor, will, I am afraid, be always with us." The following figures show at fiveyearly intervals and for %e past three years, the number of persons in prison per 10,000 of the general population:— Persons in No. per 10,000 Prison. Population. 1881 .. .. 690 .. 13.77 188G . . .. 625 .. 10.60 1891 .. .. 534 .. 8.42 1896 .. .. 550 .. 7.70 1901 .. .. 7IS .. 9.05 1906 .. ..891 .. 9.80 1911 .. .. 873 .. 8.51 1912 . . . . 866 . . 8.22 1913 .. . . 919 .. 8.47 The decrease in the number of serious crimes, ns evidenced by the length of the sentences imposed, still continues. The reduction that has taken place in the liiafc four year* is shown by the following figures: 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. One year and over 291 214 157 14,1 Throe mouths and under one year 604 501 442 494