PRISONS DEPARTMENT. PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1925.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1926 Session I, H-20a

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1926. NEW ZEALAND.

PRISONS DEPARTMENT. PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1925.

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

Members of Board. Right Hon. Sir Robert Stoitt, P. 0., K.C.M.G. (President); Sir Georoe Fenwiok, Kt. ; William Reece, Esq. ; Edwin Hall, Esq.; JC. B. Jordan, Esq. ; D. G. A. Cooper, Esq. ; Michael Hawkins, Esq.

Sir, — Wellington, 6th January, 1926. I have the honour to forward herewith the report of the Prisons Board for the year 1925. I have, &c., The Hon. the Minister of Justice. Robert Stout, President.

REPORT OF THE PRISONS BOARD For the Year ending 31st December, 1925. The Board has to report that during the year 1925 it dealt with a total of 1,134 cases at meetings held at Christchurch, Paparua, Addington, Invercargill, Wellington, Wi Tako, Point Halswell, The Terrace, 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 ot. • "fi be i ■ 1 J2 <4 " 1 fn M 1 . a a , i r i •! i r i a iofi£a§S s Probationers for S S "g "g Soo £ ° §j, •£ ° 3 5 Place § * | || o Discharge from g 3 „£* £ „ * - g» of E v > * o •? s -a Probation. £ c o £ » Meeting. I jJ ® 5|i g - 1° ■§ « 1 § S .§ S !»~ » | I | l-I I Crimes Offender £ I 1 1| I 2 a! |1 o-'g a'a'SI « I 1 iSS 11 fi |SwS mentTc't. Moneys". I 111 1 I §§££ Sjgf 1*51 I 3 MOhMMiW | H|Ph Ah P* Ph jo g H II I 1 I • Jan. Invercargill j .. 161 4 • • I • • • • 165 33 123 .. 9 .. .. 165 ,, Paparua .. \ 3 j 30 18 j .. .. 51 7 37 .. 7 .. .. 51 „ Addington I • • 5 ( • ■ • ■ 5 .. 5 .. .. .. .. 5 ,, Christchurcli 1 j 26 27 .... I .. 3 57 8 35 .. 11 3 .. 57 May Wellington 3 ■ 99 j 78 1 4 2 187 28 127 3 26 2 1 187 June „ I .. | 1 .... .. .. 1 1 .. .. 1 July Terrace { .. I 23 7 .... .. .. 30 5 22 .. 3 .. .. 30 WiTako .. 36 11 ....:.. .. 47 10 27 3 7 .. .. 47 Pt. Halswelli .. j 35 1 .... .. .. 36 7 22 4 3 .. .. 36 Aug. Wellington 7 I 90 54 1 i 3 4 j 159 15 113 3 25 3 159 Nov. Auckland 55 j 165 87 5 .. 312 60 210 10 32 .. .. 312 „ Waikeria 1 .. j 77 7 j .. .. j 84 23 59 .. 2 .. .. 84 I ! 69 J 747 295 1 1 12 9 1,134 I 197 780 23 125 8 1 1,134

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Table B. —Showing Releases and Discharges, etc., effected each Month for 1925.

Offenders Probation Act, 1920. During the year nine applications for discharge from probation were considered by the Board, and of the number received eight were granted. Table C. —Reformative-detention Cases dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1925. Total number sentenced to reformative detention .. .. .. .. .. 2,780 Released and discharged on recommendation of Board .. .. .. .. 2,001 Discharged from reformatories on completion of full sentence .. ... .. 382 Total number released .. • .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,383 Of whom there were — Returned to reformatories for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 84 Committed to reformatories for further offences whilst on probation .. 156 Sentenced for offences committed after discharge or expiry of period of probation .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 323 Total number returned and recommitted . . . . .. .. 563 Absconded and not traced .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 Died .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . 7 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. . . . . 44 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, 1925 . . . . .. 89 Number who have not offended since their discharge or expiration of period of probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. . . 1,644 1,820 2,383 Of the total number released after undergoing reformative detention 23-6 per cent, have been returned to prison either for non-compliance with conditions of release or for committing further offences, 3 per cent, have left the Dominion or absconded, 0-7 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. Discharged from Probation, j p> 3 8 fl & I £ fl - S3 I S> a ' ° S ■ i925 ' i • -ii il I J.-a 1-2 I J* £j , Si Totals. * I lis 1 S I 4 i J I s 1S ts 4 i il 8 1 g Sj|| i -7-1 t A 3! S SoS 11 31" o | M -g i sl§ s -s s 1 1«5 -g -1 aO « OO -gTSO so '3So ■s'SO SO -ST3C jgjso § £ W IW pi W W « I H w ;P3 ! o I w I i 1 January .. 7 3 15 1 .. 4 .. .. I .. 3 .. 33 February . . 7 2 15 8 .. 3 . . .. j .. .. 35 March .. 3 .. 8 2 .. 3 .. .. | . .. .. 16 April .. 2 5 9 2 .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. 20 May.. .. 6 .. 13 6 .. 4 .. .. .. 2 1 32 June .. 6 .. 5 .. .. 4 .. 2 ■ j 1 .. .. 18 July . . 2 .. 8 10 .. 6 .. .. .. .. .. 26 August .. 5 .. 11 2 .. 5 3 26 September .. 2 1 7 5 .. 7 .. 2 .. .. .. 24 October . . 3 . . 4 4 . . 3 . . . . .. .. . . 14 November . . 3 .. 4 4 10 . . . . . . . . .. 21 December . . 10 j 6 '21 J 2 j 6 . . .. . . . . .. 45 Totals 56 j 17 120 46 .. j 57 .. 4 1 8 1 310 J

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Table D. —Habitual Criminals dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1925. Total number declared habitual criminals .. .. .. .. .. .. 408 Of whom there were released on recommendation of Board .. . . .. .. 344 Of whom there were — Returned to prison for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 44 Committed to prison for further offences .. .. .. .. 113 Sentenced for offences committed after their discharge from prison or from probation .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 24 Total number returned .. . . .. . . .. .. 181 Absconded and not traced .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Died .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. .. .. 42 Transferred to mental hospital .. .. .. .. . . 1 Transferred to consumptive sanatorium .. .. . . .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1925 . . . . . . 29 Number who have not offended, so far as known, since their discharge from probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. 55 163 344 Of the total number of habitual criminals released on probation 52-6 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 47-4 per cent., but our tables show that 3-8 per cent, died or were transferred to mental hospitals, whilst 19-2 per cent, left the Dominion or absconded. This leaves a definite percentage of 24-4 who have remained in the Dominion and have not further offended. Since 1917 the Board has dealt with the following hard-labour cases Table E.—Hard-labour Cases. Total cases considered .. .. .. .. .. 1,376 Number discharged from prison on recommendation of Board .. .. 249 Number released on probation on recommendation of Board .. .. 355 Left the Dominion .. .. . . . . .. . . .. 14 Absconded.. .. . . . . .. .. .. .. 1 Recommitted for other offences . . .. . . .. .. 16 Completed probation .. .. . . . . .. .. 251 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1925 .. .. .. 35 GENERAL SUMMARY. The following table shows the cases considered year by year by the Board over the last decade :• —

Table F.

If the report of the Board for the year 1924 is referred to it will be seen that the percentage results of the reformative-treatment table as disclosed by the statistics for that period are almost identical with those of the year under review. The percentage of persons released on probation who

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Probationers for TT , iiH ,„ | Discharge from Habitual t> . , , Probation. Year. Criminals and i'i t *• ' ° Hard Labour. mina.s or Totals. Offenders. Detention. Remission, Crimeg offender Hard Labour. Amend Proba ment Act. j tioners. ; ; ; j : 1916 .. 102 322 .. .... .. 424 1917 .. 95 329 14 .. .... 438 1918 .. 87 201 92 .. .... 380 1919 .. 97 471 115 .. j 18 .. 701 1920 .. 74 467 75 1 .. 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 1925 .. 70 1 747 295 1 12 9 1,134 Totals 847 5,049 1,635 ! 8 128 101 7,768

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made good in 1924 was 72-7. An equal percentage was found in 1925. The number of habitual criminals remaining in the Dominion not proved to have further offended was 24-4 per cent, in 1925 and 24-8 per cent, in 1924. To test in another way the result of granting probation to habituals it was found that out of every 100 habituals that have been released on probation since 1911, 51-4 were up to the end of 1924 returned to prison for various breaches of the law, and at the end of 1925 the number so returned was 52-6 per cent. In the 1924 report the Board pointed out that voluntary efforts should be made to aid and guide the prisoners who had been released on probation or discharged from prison. It has ever to be remembered that, as was stated in the 1924 report, the offenders against our laws are weaklings, many of them physically, mentally, or morally, and considering the temptations in our- social life, it is not surprising that many fall and cease to be good citizens. It is not charity nor gifts they require, but guidance and training, so that they may be strengthened for the duties of life. They must be trained to see that if they desire to enjoy life they must be honest, industrious, and thrifty. The old maxim " Honesty is the best policy " should ever be remembered. We may well ask, seeing the vast number of good and altruistic citizens in our midst, are there not many who would be anxious to assist them ? Such help would, it is believed, not only redeem many of our weaker sisters and brothers, but would aid in a fuller development of personality and of high aims in those who thus performed a great public service. The givers of such services do by such actions receive their reward, for they themselves are lifted to a higher sphere and become ennobled. If our civilization is to be preserved and extended, the after-care and guidance of our offenders cannot be neglected. Robert Stout, President. Wellington, 6th January, 1926.

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