LONGER TERMS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 925, 21 November 1933, Page 6

LONGER TERMS.

Deterrent to Petty Criminals.

(‘‘Star’* Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, November 21.

In the opinion of the Prisons Board, fuller use should be made of the existing statutory provisions for declaring persons to be “habitual offenders,” the effect of which is to keep convicted persons in gaol after the termination of their sentence duripg the pleasure of the Governor-General. In stating its opinion in its annual report, which was presented to the House of Representatives to-day, the board, over which Mr Justice Reed presides, declares that this would be a greater deterrent than the present method of treatment. It would also rid the major towns of a large number of vagrants and petty criminals and would save the expense of repeatedly bringing them before the courts. The report states that the board dealt with 1524 cases at fifteen meetings. Of these, it recommended 605 for release on probation, recommended 43 for discharge, deferred 774 for further consideration and declined 88. The percentage of those who make good after release remains much the same from year to year, states the report. The number reteased after serving terms of Borstal detention and sentences of reformation detention or imprisonment with hard labour who have been reconvicted or who have failed to comply with the conditions of their release is approximately 21 per cent. Of the habitual criminals released on parole, approximately 18 per cent refrained from further offending. The resists, on the whole, are considered to be very satisfactory. Reformation Doubtful. “The habitual criminal, as the statutory term indicates, has become fixed in his habits,” states the report, “ and,- after a lifetime of crime, the prospect of reformation is not very hopeful. The board has endeavoured to give individual habituals a chance to continue in outside life the records they have made for industry, good conduct, intelligent and valuable work in prison: but, while this policy has been fully justified in a fair number of cases—that is. in cases of definite and well-established rehabilitation—there remain a considerable number of men who, although released more than once, have shown their inability to conduct themselves as law-abiding citizens.” The method of the board in determining whether a man should be released or not is described and it is stated that experience has shown that many habitual criminals are definitely anti-social and quite unfit to be at large.