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1928. NEW ZEALAND.

OFFENDERS PROBATION UNDER OFFENDERS PROBATION ACT, 1920, AND CRIMES AMENDMENT ACT, 1910 (REPORT ON OPERATIONS OF), FOR THE YEAR 1927-28.

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. Sir, — Wellington, 10th August, 1928. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Chief Probation Officer on the operations of the Offenders Probation Act for the year 1927-28. I have, &c., F. J. Rolleston, Minister of Justice. The Chief Probation Officer to the Hon. the Minister of Justice. Sir, —- Office of the Chief Probation Officer, Wellington, 7th August, 1928. I have the honour to present my annual report on the work of the probation system under the Offenders Probation Act and the Crimes Amendment Act, together with the reports of the Field Organizer and the principal district Probation Officers for the year ended 31st December, 1927. This report covers the forty-second year that the system of probation has been in force in New Zealand. It came into operation with the passing of the First Offenders Probation Act in 1886, the provisions of which were later extended by the Offenders Probation Act of 1920. Last year the working of the probation system was rendered more effective by the establishment of voluntary committees, somewhat on the lines of those provided for in the Imperial Criminal Justice Act, 1925. ' The reports from the district Probation Officers show that in the great majority of cases those admitted to probation have satisfactorily responded to this method of treatment. The somewhat depressed economic conditions and the amount of unemployment that has existed have made the task of rehabilitation more difficult, but, due principally to the splendid assistance from voluntary helpers, these difficulties have not proved to be insuperable. The statistics appended hereto show that during the year 720 persons were placed on probation and came under the care of this Department under the provisions of the Offenders Probation Act. This was forty-four less than the number dealt with during the previous year. Of the total number, 586 persons were admitted to probation by the Courts direct, and 134 came under the provisions of the Act under the scheme of deferred sentence. The Justice statistics show a total of 1,036 cases where convictions were recorded during the year and the offenders ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, but only in those cases where conditions are imposed by the Court concerning the payment of costs of prosecution or the making of restitution, or other special conditions to be observed by the offender, do they come under the supervision of Probation Officers.

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