PAPARUA PRISON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12776, 21 October 1919, Page 10

PAPARUA PRISON.

INSPECTION BY COUNCIL OF

CHURCHES.

At last evening’s meeting of the Council oj Churches. dealing with the visit of inspection bv a committee to the Pnpamii. Prison Farm, the Rev P. Knight said that no general report had been prepared. His report would give his own impressions of his own visit. AH Re even’s report represented whai he gaw. Mr Rule was not making a report, and Air Martin’s report would represent his own views. The chairman (Rev AV. .T. Williams): T>id you go out independently f Mr Knight; wo went together. But if the committee _ met together scores of times, our joint report would require to give our personal views. Mr it. D. Martin: As far as our visit there was concerned, everything was lovely, but I have two letters, ono irom a prisoner and one from a man out on probation, that put an entirely different complexion on things. There was one shed, 10ft by 12ft, with practically no ventilation, which we saw in use merely as n, storeroom for bicycles. But a writer informs me that eight prisoners were once in there from 0 p.ra. to i .15 a.m. The chief gaoler subsequently admitted that this was so. Air Knight: But he gam an explanation. It was ultimately decided to consider members’ reports separately. The Rev E. p. Blamircs: in the course of his report, said that the chief gaoler conducted the committee over Faparua and gave members full opportunity of conversing with prisoners. -Nowhere was there any relic of the dead past, hut a vision of the future. There was no broad arrow sign in evidence. In the conscientious objectors’ quarters he found the cells spotlessly clean and well ventilated, far superior to the hutments of our soldiers. The blankets and all furnishings were clean and sweet, with no trace of 'dipt t<c, vermin. The one piece of adverse criticism was that prisoners would like longer time in the exercise yards and less time in the ceils. Generally his impression was that while there” was no attempt to provide, tourist accommodation. the authorities were doing all that could bo expected in a. reformatory. He had asked the chief gaoler whether there bad been a “cleanup” in anticipation of the visit, and the chief gaoler had said no. Two prisoners, questioned privately, horo out this statement. The bicycle shed, referred to by Air Martin, had been used to accommodate prisoners, but only during ir period of crowding, and then just those who volunteered stayed in it. A. W. Beaven’s report stated that the prison at Paparua appeared to be conducted on the latest and host principles. The prisoner had healthv surrotmdingß and enough work to giro him a sustained interest in life. The confinement was the least possible in order to ensure that each prisoner did not escape back to his former life during the time of his sentence. Air Alurtin said that he had not nrepared a report. He thought the committee should investigate the ouestion of the “dummy” (the punishment cell). Further discussion was postponed till 1 next meeting, when the committee will submit a joint report. ,