PRISONS (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR 1942-43 ALSO OPERATIONS OF THE OFFENDERS PROBATION ACT (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR 1942-43

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1943 Session I, H-20

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1943 NEW ZEALAND

PRISONS (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR 1942-43 ALSO OPERATIONS OF THE OFFENDERS PROBATION ACT (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR 1942-43

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

The Hon. the Minister of Justice to His Excellency the Governor-General. Wellington, 23rd June, 1943. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report on the prisons and Borstals of the Dominion for the year 1942-43. I have, &c., H. G. R. Mason, Minister of Justice.

The Controller-General of Prisons to the Hon. the Minister of Justice. I have the honour to present the annual report of the Prisons Department for the financial year ended 31st March, 1943, showing also the criminal statistics for the calendar year ending 31st December, 1942. This report, on account of the present necessity for economy of paper, is much abridged, and the usual annexures (reports from local Controlling Officers and certain statistical tables) are omitted. These reports reveal that the standard of efficiency has been maintained. There has been increased industrial activity with a view to assisting the national war effort, and it is satisfactory to note that the credits for production— viz., £116,754 —constitute a record. With few exceptions the conduct of prisoners has been good. The incidence of sickness has been slight. There were four deaths and no suicides. The staffing position has been difficult, necessitating considerable overtime, but the staff generally has loyally risen to the demands of the occasion. Statistics. —The number of prisoners received into penal institutions during 1942 totalled 4,219, of whom 3,956 were males and 263 females, an increase of 431 and 132 respectively over the receptions in 1941. This increase does not connote an increase in the ordinary criminal population of the Dominion. The increase is largely made up by reason of the committal or transfer of over 500 military defaulters to prison and 400-odd persons involved in industrial disputes; and the substantial increase in the number of receptions of women (132) is mainly due to the greater incidence of prostitution and the efforts of the authorities to combat venereal disease.

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The daily average in custody for the year 1942 (1,029) has gone up in consequence of these committals to the extent of 71 on the average for the previous year. The ratio of distinct prisoners to the general population for 1942 was 18 46, as compared with 14-53 for 1941. In making a comparison, allowance must be made not only for the fact that the general population is down slightly, but also for the abnormal circumstances affecting last year's committals. Compared with earlier years, the general trend is downward (1890, 38-61; 1910, 32 45; 1914, 3105; 1932, 22 9; 1933, 1775; 1935, 13-76; 1939, 15-38; 1940, 13-44). Industrial and Financial.—For occupational and vocational purposes industrial activities have continued. These comprise farming, gardening, quarrying, roadworks, tailoring, bootmaking, and laundering. Quite a substantial part of the Department's present activities are directly related to the war effort. In particular, some large orders for Army boots have been executed, and thousands of Army and Air Force blankets and equipment have been laundered. This extension of a normal activity came at a time when the commercial laundries were overloaded and unable to cope with the large demand made upon them by the armed services. The Department lias also been able to supply produce from its various farms and gardens to the Army and Air 1 Force. At one institution a special area of vegetables was grown under contract to assist in fulfilling the needs of the armed services, and arrangements are in hand for an area of 100 acres to be put into garden produce for the same purpose. In a normal year before the outbreak of war the Department would sell from its various farms approximately eight hundred head of pigs. For the year just ended the sales of pigs reached the outstanding figure of 2,447. This excellent result has been due to departmental collaboration whereby this Department has been enabled to utilize kitchen garbage from Army camps and Air Force stations proximate to our own institutions. The expenditure and credits-in-aid under vote, " Prisons," for 1942-43 were £166,982 and £99,336 respectively, or i„ net expenditure of £67,646, as compared with a net expenditure for of £78,190. In other words, despite the increased number of inmates, due to increased production the cost to the taxpayer has been £10,544 less. Socializing Activities.—ln consequence of the restriction on transport there has been a slight diminution in the amount of visiting by social workers, but the Department has continued regularly to show sound films at all institutions. Educational classes have all been maintained, and the various ministers of religion and others interested in the spiritual well-being of prisoners have not relaxed in their ministrations. B. L. Dallard, Controller-General of Prisons.

OFFENDERS PROBATION: SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT (UNDER OFFENDERS PROBATION ACT, 1920, AND CRIMES AMENDMENT ACT, 1910) FOR THE YEAR 1942 The Chief Probation Officer to the Hon. the Minister of Justice. The following is the annual report under the Offenders Probation Act and the Crimes Amendment Act for the year ended 31st December, 1942. For reasons of paper economy this report is again being submitted as a supplement to the Prisons Report, and the usual reports of District Probation Officers have been omitted. The reports show that probationers, in the main, have reacted reasonably satisfactorily, the number who have relapsed being just under 10 per cent, of the total dealt with. During the year 807 persons were admitted to probation—i.e., 72 less than the total for the previous year. The amount paid by probationers last year under orders for restitution totalled £5,746. The success of this work of rehabilitating offenders has largely been due to the large body of voluntary workers who assist the Department, and in this respect I desire to pay special tribute to the Women's Borstal Association, the Prisoners' Aid Societies, and the Salvation Army authorities. B. L. Dallard, Chief Probation Officer.

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Table showing Number of Prisoners at each Prison or Institution in the Dominion during the Year 1942

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Received during Year. Sickness. Name of Prison Iu Custody at Beginning Discharged during Year. In Custody at End Daily Average Number of Daily of Year. of Year. Prisoners. . . ,, Average Direct from Courts. On Transfer. Admissions to Hospital during Year. Sl >irlist. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. Addington (Women's Reformatory) .. .. 9 9 .. 46 46 .. 13 13 .. 51 51 .. 18 18 .. 10-18 10-18 .. 2 2 0-17 Auckland .. .. ..236 6 242 1,565 96 1,661 26 3 29 1,604 86 1,690 223 19 242 222-92 12-72 235-64 20 2 22 5-77 Hautu (Tokaanu) .. .. .. 41 .. 41 31 .. 31 18 .. 18 56 .. 56 34 .. 34 35-17 .. 35-17 0-13 Invercargill .. .. .. 7 .. I .7 53 53 3 1 4 57 1 58 6 6 6-11 6-11 0-24 Invercargill (Borstal institution) .. 126 .. 126 119 .. 119 25 .. 25 130 .. 130 140 .. 140 133-74 .. 133-74 12 .. 12 5-63 Napier .. .. .. .. 20 20 125 12 137 29 29 165 12 177 9 9 14-24 0-03 14-27 2 2 0-40 New Plymouth .. .. .. 55 55 75 75 28 28 98 98 60 60 52-22 .. 52-22 4 4 0-37 Paparua (Templeton) .. .. 114 .. 114 453 .. 453 47 .. 47 509 .. 509 105 .. 105 107-31 .. 107-31 3 3 0-39 Pt. Halswell (Women's Reformatory) . 3 3 .. 42 42 .. 3 3 .. 40 40 .. 8 8 .. 4-20 4-20 .. 4 4 0-27 Point Halswell (Borstal institution) .. .. 19 19 .. 60 60 .. 1 1 .. 27 27 .. 53 53 .. 36-09 36-09 .. 19 19 2-00 Rangipo .. .. .. .. 23 23 18 18 21 21 37 37 25 25 25-81 .. 25-81 0-02 Waikeria (Reformatory) .. .. 90 90 23 23 136 136 151 .. 151 98 .. 98 90-00 .. 90-00 2 2 0-92 Waikeria (Borstal institution) .. 37 37 8 8 17 17 33 33 29 29 26-80 .. 26-80 3 3 0-38 Waikune (Erua) .. .. .. 46 .. 46 .. .. .. 87 .. 87 81 .. 81 52 .. 52 53-62 .. 53-62 .. .. .. 0-32 Wanganui .. .. .. 14 14 82 2 84 20 20 96 2 98 20 20 18-67 .. 18-67 2 2 0-71 Wellington .. .. .. 88 88 988 988 74 74 1,055 .. 1,055 95 .. 95 94-78 .. 94-78 18 18 2-57 Wi Tako (Trentham) .. .. 71 71 3 3 278 278 290 290 62 62 55-47 .. 55-47 0-13 Minor prisons and police-gaols .. 10 .. 10 378 5 383 161 6 167 540 11 551 8 8 13-04 .. 13-04 3 3 0-20 Police lock-ups* .. .. .. .. .. .. 35 .. 35 .. .. .. 35 .. 35 .. .. .. 16-43 .. 16-43 Totals .. .. .. 978 37 1,015 3,956 263 4,219 970 27 997 4,937 230 5,167 966 98 1,064 966-33 63-22 1,029-55 69 27 96 20-62 * Deemed to be prisons under the provisions of section 17 of the Statute Law Amendment Act, 1917.