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During the year a new and up-to-date cooking-range and hot-water service for kitchen use has been installed in the kitchen. It does its work excellently, and the food is cooked in a proper manner and method to suit the class that is located here. The buildings and all the appliances in use are in first-class order and should be sufficient for many years to come. Our thanks are due to the clergymen of the various religious denominations for their kindness in holding Church services at the institution. The Salvation Army have on different occasions brought their brass band and played in the grounds to the inmates, which has been much appreciated. Our thanks are also due to the Cosmopolitan Club for very fine gifts of books for the Prison library. The conduct of the staff has been satisfactory. Wellington Prison. (Superintendent, Mr. J. Down.) There were in custody at the commencement of the year 93 males. During the year 903 males were received and 871 were discharged, leaving in custody on the 31st December, 125 males. Of those discharged, 519 were on expiration or remission of hard-labour sentences, 2 reformative detention, 1 simple imprisonment, 27 of bail or probation ; whilst 10 hard-labour, and 16 reformative-detention prisoners, and 1 habitual criminal were released on the recommendation of the Prisons Board. Fifteen debtors and 3 acquitted by the Supreme Court were also released, and 277 were transferred to other prisons or to the police. The health of the prisoners generally has been very good. Eighteen were received for medical treatment. By order of the Medical Officer 11 in all were sent to the Public Hospital for treatment, as against 20 last year. The conduct and industry of the prisoners have been exceptionally good. There was a small number of breaches of the regulations, but these were only of a minor nature. The total number of offences dealt with was 79. The social side of the prison life has not been forgotten. Concerts were given by various concert parties on several occasions. The Presbyterian Social Service Club provided Christmas cheer. The Justices' Association also provided a small gift for each prisoner on New Year's Day. The men thoroughly appreciated the generosity thus shown them. Divine service has been conducted by several denominations, as follows : Presbyterian Ministers' Association, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the Church of England. To Major Greenfield, of the Salvation Army, and Mr. Mills, of the Prisoners' Aid Society, and others we are indebted for their generosity and assistance to the prisoners in procuring work and supplying clothing on their discharge from prison. The demolition of the Terrace Prison is still being carried on, and it should not be very long before the whole of the buildings are taken down. More than half of the number of prisoners are now housed at Wellington No. 2. The main buildings at Wellington No. 2 Prison are well in hand. The west wing is finished. All the woodwork in the interior of the wing has been oiled, so that the cost of maintenance will in future be less. A vegetable-garden has been started at No. 2 Prison, and a good supply of vegetables and potatoes is now in hand. Brush fences have been put up round the garden to protect the vegetables from the wind. The principal work carried out at the Terrace Prison has been the excavating and levelling of the site for the Education Board. There are several industries at which prisoners are employed, the first being the making of floorpolish, for which we have a large sale and which is a paying proposition. The making of lead-headed nails has been continued. The nails are mostly supplied to the public Works Department. This industry is also proving very satisfactory. 'The conduct of officers on the whole has been good. Wi Tako Prison, Trentham. (Superintendent, Mr. D. Blain.) There were in custody at the commencement of the year 26 hard-labour, and 41 reformativedetention prisoners, and 1 habitual criminal —total, 68 male prisoners. During the year 79 prisoners were received, and 17 hard-labour and 7 reformative-detention prisoners were discharged at expiration of sentence. Seven hard-labour and 22 reformative-detention prisoners were released on the recommendation of the Prisons Board, and 27 were transferred to other prisons, leaving 67 in custody on the 31st December, 1926. The general conduct of the prisoners has been very satisfactory. The health of the prisoners, on the whole, has been very good, the daily average on the sick-list being 1-35. The manufacture of bricks was discontinued on the 23rd of June last, the only work being carried out since then in this connection has been the loading and despatching of bricks as orders come to hand. The number of bricks manufactured during the year was 930,065, the number disposed of 1,164,093, and the number remaining in stock at the end of the year was 858,005. Since the closing of the brickworks all the labour has been diverted to the development of the farm and garden. A contour drain encircling the flat portion of the farm was opened up, and several smaller

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