H.—2o.

2

The fluctuations in the prison population from 1881 lo 1919 inclusive arc shown in the table below :—

Daily Average, 1881 to 1919.

Prisoners sentenced by Military Courts-martial. It has already been staled dial, the daily average number of military court-martialled prisoners in the prisons for the year 1919 was 192-80, compared with 222928 in 1918, the decrease being caused chiefly by the expiration and remission of sentences and by Ihe reduction in conimitals after the termination of the war. The improvement in the figures for the two years is, however, more clearly indicated when a comparison is made between the number of prisoners of this class in March, 1918, and (lie average for the twelve months ended 31st March, 1920. In March, 1918, there were 293 military prisoners in our charge, while the daily average for the financial year ended 31st March last was 13887. In August, 1919, the sentences passed upon 72 military prisoners who hail been classified as genuine religious objectors by the Religious Objectors Advisory Board were remitted, and Hie men so classified were discharged without further penalty. Fourteen Maoris who were also serving terms I'm- refusing to serve in the Expeditionary Poroes were released in May, 1919, on the recommendation of the same Board, while in May of the current year a remission of six months was granted to all military prisoners sentenced in New Zealand. This resulted in a further 20 men being released, leaving only I-l prisoners of this class in the whole of the prisons on 30th June last. A few deserters have since been arrested and sentenced to short terms, but if is expected I hat when the next report is written only three or four men who have been sentenced by military Courts for serious civil crimes will remain in custody. Generally speaking the conduct and industry of the military prisoners have been reasonably satisfactory. As stated in last year's report, there were mild attempts to strike, while even hunger-striking was resorted to at Waikeria by a. limited number of the men, but these attempts to defy constituted authority met with little success. Adequate punishments were inflicted, and there was no recrudescence of the trouble. The distribution of the military prisoners in all prisons and prison institutions of the Dominion during the past five years is shown in the table below : —

Military Court-martialled Prisoners in Civil Prisons. — Daily Average Number in Custody in the Principal Prisons of the Dominion during Five Years ended 31st December, 1919.

Expenditure and Receipts. The gross expenditure of the Department under all heads for the financial year ended 31st March last amounted to £109,528, compared with £95,324 for the previous year, an increase

Year. Daily Average of Prisoners in Dominion Prisons. Males. Females. Total. 1881 .. 1891 .. 1911 .. 1912 .. 1913 .. 1914 .. 1915 .. 1916 .. 1917 .. 1918 .. 1919 .. 631-66 94-37 726-03 459-22 58-39 517-61 799-08 64-18 863-26 855-28 64-07 919-35 826-69 66-55 893-24 916-09 63-72 979-81 93133 7679 1,008-12 895-99 82-78 942-77 817-27 96-99 914-26 896-98 84-97 981-95 936-28 68-06 1,004-34 i 631*66 459-22 799-08 855-28 826-69 916-09 93133 895-99 817-27 896-98 936-28 I I I I I 94-37 58-39 64-18 64-07 66-55 63-72 76-79 82-78 96-99 84-97 68-06 i i I

Institution. Auckland Invercargill .. Kaingaroa Lytteiton Paparua Roto-aira Waikeria Wellington Wi Tako 1915. 0-756 0-016 0-410 0-512 [ 1916. 0-557 0-016 1-980 0-104 0-360 i i I 1917. 0-600 3-500 2-010 0-032 2-229 20-700 10-400 14-640 1918. 4-717 39-030 32-040 0-065 44-256 22-250 58-300 22-270 I 1911). 10-52]: 33-21! I 21-581 0-20* 42-611 15-03] 1 52-30 1 10-91 1 6-44 1 Totals 1-694 1-694 3-017 3-017 54-111 222-928 192-80