PRISONS DEPARTMENT. PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1924.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1925 Session I, H-20a

H.— 20a.

1925. NEW ZEALAND.

PRISONS DEPARTMENT. PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1924.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Members op Board. Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout, P.C., K.C.M.G. (President); Sir George Eenwiok, Kt.; Edwin Hall, Esq. : Frank Hay, Esq., M.8.; C. B. Jordan, Esq.; Charles E. Matthews, Esq.; William Reece, Esq. Sir, — Wellington, 23rd July, 1925. I have the honour to forward herewith the report of the Prisons Board for the year 1924. I have, &c., The Hon. the Minister of Justice. Robert Stout, President.

REPORT OF THE PRISONS BOARD. For the Year ending 31st December, 1924. The Board has to report that during the year 1924 it dealt with a total of 1,102 cases at meetings held at Christchurch, Paparua, Addington, Invercargill, Wellington, Wi Tako, Point Halswell, The Terrace, New Plymouth, Waikune, Hautu, Auckland, and Waikeria. The following table sets out under their respective statutory headings the number of cases considered at each meeting, together with the decisions reached : —

Table A.

H.—20a. 1925. NEW ZEALAND. PRISONS DEPARTMENT. PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1924. Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency. Members op Board. Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout, P.C., K.C.M.G. (President); Sir George Fenwick, Kt. ; Edwjn Hall, Esq. : Frank Hay, Esq., M.B.; C. B. Jordan, Esq.; Charles E. Matthews, Esq.; William Reece, Esq. Sir, — Wellington, 23rd July, 1925. I have the honour to forward herewith the report of the Prisons Board for the year 1924. I have, &c., The Hon. the Minister of Justice. Robert Stout, President. REPORT OF THE PRISONS BOARD. For the Year ending 31st December, 1924. The Board has to report that during the year 1924 it dealt with a total of 1,102 cases at meetings held at Christchurch, Paparua, Addington, Invercargill, Wellington, Wi Tako, Point Halswell, The Terrace, New Plymouth, Waikune, Hautu, Auckland, and Waikeria. The following table sets out under their respective statutory headings the number of cases considered at each meeting, together with the decisions reached : — Table A. Cases considered of Decisions showing how Cases were disposed of. • cn be j. i. i J® « fn fh ' . c a 'lL- >-<<(-<>-< I y. K s J £ a 3°= Probationers for £8 -g « fill £ o ® ° ° s Q gg Place '3 ! go £ |°,2 Discharge from g g „ g „ 'Ooa I Meeting. 1 j f| . | J i* S I fgMSSflft* I|^ | I |1| | : |*|f Crimes Offender ■ | || | | || §| | Hgff « a 3 Amend- Proba- a §«» S s fi'sS "as S" a S o t, g g $ 5 rf a® « mentAct. tioners. o 1 "S "S opting 0 H McmWW|M H Feb. Christchurch 10 36 33 .. 1 3 2 85 10 55 4 13 1 1 1 85 „ Paparua .. 1 48 9 .. .. 58 14 42 .. 2 .. .. .. 58 „ Addington .. 3 .. .. 3 .. 3 .. .. .. .. .. 3 Invercargill .. 156 3 . . 159 30 121 .. 8 159 April Wellington .. 1 3.... .. .. 4 4 .. .. .. 4 May 7 23 26 .. 2 .. .. 58 23 30 3 2 .. 58 WiTako.. .. 17 6 .. 23 11 5 1 6 23 „ Pt. Halswell 1 28 1 .. 30 8 20 1 1 30 „ Terrace .. 1 6 6.... .. .. 13 3 4.. 5.. .. 1 13 Wellington 4 39 35 1 6 4 89 8 33 14 30 4 .. 89 July „ 1 81 50 .... 3 9 144 31 82 6 17 8 .. 144 Aug. New Ply- 4 14 17 1 .. .. 36 5 24 6 1 .. 36 mouth Oct. Wellington 1 34 32 5 72 15 43 5 4 5.. .. 72 Nov. Waikune 3 35 12 .. .. .. .. 50 13 32 5 .. 50 „ Hautu .. 2 13 4 .. .. 19 4 14 1 .. 19 Mount Eden 43 97 49 .. .. 1 1 191 43 118 20 9 1 191 Waikeria .... 52 16 .. 68 12 50 5 1 68 78 683 302 2 3 13 21 1,102 234 676 57 110 19 3 3 1,102

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Table B.— Showing Releases and Discharges, etc., effected each Month for 1924.

Offenders Probation Act, 1920. During the year twenty-one applications for discharge from probation were considered by the Board, and of the number received twenty were granted. Table C. —Reformative - detention Cases dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1924. Total number sentenced to reformative detention .. .. .. .. .. 2,583 Released on recommendation of Board .. .. .. .. .. ..1,782 Discharged from reformatories on completion of full sentence .. .. .. 310 Total number released .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,092 Of whom there were — Returned to reformatories for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 81 Committed to reformatories for further offences whilst on probation .. 141 Sentenced for offences committed after discharge or expiry of period of probation 265 Total number returned and recommitted .. .. .. .. 487 Absconded and not traced .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 Died .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. .. .. 42 Known to have been killed in action while on active service .. .. 3 Returned to Weraroa.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Transferred to Rotoroa Inebriates Institution .. .. .. .. 1 Transferred to mental hospitals .. .. .. .. .. 3 Transferred to Mount Magdala Home .. .. .. .. .. 1 Transferred to Salvation Army Home .. .. .. .. .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1924 .. .. .. .. 99 Number who have not offended since their discharge or expiration of period of probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. .. 1,421 1,605 2,092 Of the total number released after undergoing reformative detention 23-2 per cent, have been returned to prison either for non-compliance with conditions of release or for committing further offences ; 3-2 per cent, have left the Dominion or absconded ; 0-9 per cent, have died or been transferred to mental hospitals, &c. : leaving 72-7 per cent, who have not further offended.

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Released on Probation. Discharged from Prison, j Discharged from Probation. I ; ; p U* 1 Q f* <D 1 <x> _« i o P 1924. J j "3 | j,TT 5-2 J Jg | § Totals. l| g lSS 4 S |3|g ggS 8 g|g i g 8: ij J 8 ~-§ •g Je 31 I I gl 3 -gS hi I i 1 "8 3 3! I § S ; a 5 3 -I go ■ggai-g'So so -SI6 S'j -5 So »jo ga M ! Sk M'Wrt Wrtpqg a! January .. 7 3 18 6 .. 3 .. . . .. 1 .. 38 February .. 5 3 5 2 .. 2 .. .. .. .. 1 18 March " .. 3 .. 21 2 .. 5 1 32 April .. 3 1 8 3 .. 4 2 21 May.. .. 6 2 17 4 .. 5 4 2 40 June .. 5 .. 8 7 .. 3 .. 3 1 1 .. 28 July .. 6 .. 16 5 .. 3 6 .. 36 August .. 3 2 24 10 .. 5 1 45 September .. 1 .. 6 5 .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. 14 October .. 3 .. 2 3 .. 3 11 November 10 1 9 6 j .. 6 5 .. 37 December .. 7 2 19 3 .. 1 .. 1 . . 3 .. 36 Totals 59 14 153 56 .. 42 1 4 1 20 6 356

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Table D. —Habitual Criminals dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1924. Total number declared habitual criminals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 391 Of whom there were released on recommendation of Board .. .. .. .. 327 Of whom there were — — Returned to prison for non-compliance with conditions of release .. .. 44 Committed to prison for further offences .. .. .. .. 104 Sentenced for offences committed after their discharge from prison or from probation .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 Total number returned .. .. .. .. .. 168 Absconded and not traced .. .. .. .. .. 24 Died .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. .. ... 41 Transferred to mental hospital .. .. .. . . .. 1 Transferred to consumptive sanatorium.. . . . . .. .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1924 .. .. . . 35 Number who have not offended, so far as known, since their discharge from probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. 46 — 159 327 Of the total number of habitual criminals released on probation 51-4 per cent, were returned to prison either for non-compliance with the conditions of probation or for committing further offences. No offences are recorded against the remaining 48-6 per cent., but our tables show that 3-9 per cent, died or were transferred to mental hospitals, while 19-9 per cent, left the Dominion or absconded. This leaves a definite percentage of 24-8 who have remained in the Dominion and have not further offended. Since 1917 the Board has dealt with the following hard-labour cases :—■ Table B. —Hard-labour Cases. Total cases considered .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,081 Number discharged from prison on recommendation of Board .. .. 203 Number released on probation on recommendation of Board .. .. 299 Left the Dominion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. M Absconded . . . . .. .. .. .. .. 1 Recommitted for other offences .. .. .. .. .. 11 Completed probation .. . . .. .. .. .. 210 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1924 .. .. .. GENERAL SUMMARY. The following table shows the oases considered year by year by the Board over the last decade :—

Table F.

The statistics that appear in the tables set out in the report show that, as heretofore, not a fourth of those who have undergone reformative treatment have again offended. This is certainly a gratifying result. Improvements are continually being made in the administration of our prison institutions, *

Probationers for tt w, .1 Habitual discharge from v r . 1 , u 1 Reformative TT r * Criminals for r0 a 10n * rp , i Year. Criminals and Hard Labour. 0 . . lotals. Offenders. Detention. Remission, Crimes offender Hard Labour. Amend Proba _ ment Act. tioners. 1915 .. 101 273 .. .. .. .. 374 1916 .. 102 322 .. .. .. .. 424 1917 .. 95 329 14 .. .... 438 1918 .. 87 201 92 .. .... 380 1919 .. 97 471 115 .. 18 .. 701 1920 .. 74 467 75 .. 32 648 1921 .. 75 564 167 .. 18 17 841 1922 .. 93 594 271 .. 19 30 1,007 1923 .. 74 671 304 4 16 24 1,093 1924 .. 80 683 302 3 13 21 1,102 Totals 878 4,575 1,340 7 116 92 7,008

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and we have hope that still better results will be obtained from the efforts put forth to redeem those who have offended against society. v| j The Dominion suffered a great loss in the death of the late Mr. C. E. Matthews, who had been a member of the Board since November, 1916. He was greatly interested in his work, and spared neither time nor labour to carry out reforms in the institutions with which he was connected. The wave of crime that was witnessed two or three years ago has spent its force. It cannot, however, be expected that crime will at once be lessened. Many of the causes of crime are to be found in the past, for heredity plays a great part in our social life, and so long as there are mental defectives there will be offenders against our laws. Crime, however, might be lessened if those guilty were always found so by our tribunals, and if the community removed temptation from our midst. The cessation of crime cannot be obtained except by an uplift of our civilization, and tojget such an uplift requires a struggle of all our citizens for a higher life. Notwithstanding the many failures met with in our efforts to reform those under our jurisdiction, the members of the Board arejyet full of hope, and they are gratified at the results of the efforts to redeem the erring that are jbeing made in our reformative institutions. One thing much needed is the assistance that should|be given to those who have regained their liberty and begun their citizen life afresh. The|majority A of them are weaklings, and they need help and guidance. Robert Stout, President. Wellington, 23rd July, 1925.

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