TELEGRAMS. NEW ZEALAND PRISONS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 14553, 21 June 1913, Page 5

TELEGRAMS. NEW ZEALAND PRISONS.

TREATMENT OF HABIT^AIU CRIMINALS.

AN; OPTIMISTIC MINISTER.

(Pcr 1 Press Association.)

June 2T>,

: •Th^-Ministiecc for Justice, who has completed his' tour of investigation of the-prisonens bf New Zealand, reviewed .the position in a statement -to a 'P'ostf representative to-day. He said the legislation dealing with haibitual criminals had been ;well tested now and he believed it was working; with a fair amount of success. The gaoler at New" Plymouth £ad informed him that quite, a number Lof habdtuals released were turning] out well. At the present times-there were confined in New .gaols 59 habitual criminals, 42 prisoners undergoing hard labour sentences and declared habitual criminals, 104 detained ior reformative treatment, 48 prisoners undergoing hard labour sentences to be followed by reformative treatment, and 619 prisoners working! out hard labour sentences o^er three months. Since March, 1911, 42 haibitual criminals and 82 "prisoners., detiained.ifor reformative treatment had been released on probation on the recommendation of the.-Prisoners Board, 15 habituals and eight reformative detention prisoners released had been returned to prison.

i The Minister states that it is quite : impossible without, the expenditure of larire sums of money to do much |in. the way of classification and what is called reforra work., Some.of th© gaols, such as tyttelton, Wellington and Hapier, are obsolete and - ; until money ; .is available for the construction of modern institutions, a perfect system of alafesification cannot be devised, but eAten with the limited means at the disposal of the S.tate a commencement had been made to improve the conditions.