3

H.—2oa

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