PRISON REFORM.

West Coast Times, 17 March 1910, Page 3

PRISON REFORM.

THE NEW SCHEME

(BY TELEGRAPH —PER JRES3 ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, March 16,

Hon Dr Findlay considers the proposed scheme of prison reform, when in full operation, will show a great saiing over the present system. The scheme is adapted to meet the present and prospective requirements of this country and also to utilise for possible building equipment, administrative maehinerv already existing. Besides State institutions, official recognition is given to the work of private agencies. Their assistance will be requisitioned wheresoever available and adaptable.

IVhen an indeterminate sentence is. applied, the release of the prisoner depends upon himself and the conditions of release are determined by a, tribunal of suitable experts, except in the case of any person convicted of a crime punishable by hard labour for life, 1 when power of release shall be exeieisable by the Governor-in-Council. Privileges are placed within the attainment, of prisoners, but they can be gained only by moral industry and improvement. According to their first classification prisoners will ho distributed to divisions of various institutions and agencies. According to second they are graded within those institutions. In the classification of criminals at work, rare will be exercised to direct their minds into channels which are out of sympathy with their former manner of life. Prisoners may allow their earnings to accumulate and receive them on discharge. It is intended to employ all possible callable men on remunerative works and thus the men will gain industrial training useful on their release. The products, of their labour will be used by flip Department and will not compete with outisdc labDUV. lu extension of the camp system, camps for quarrying building .stone, manufacturing cement and making bricks are to'be situated in such parts of the Dominion as will enable their products to be easily loaded in scows and distributed. An agricultural reformatory is to be made on a site which will be selected near enough to a moans of transit to avoid the cost o( carriage becoming weighty and expensive, hut far enough away to avoid inter-com-munication, laxity of discipline or facilities to escape about 1200 acres or pso■jsibly more and fanning will be earned 1 out in all its brandies.