H.—2o

Nationality of Offenders. The following table shows in comparative form the nationality of offenders received into prison :—

Ages of Offenders. Hereunder is set out in tabular form the number of prisoners received, during the year, classified in age-groups, and for the purposes of comparison similar figures for the past five years are shown. The increase, it will be observed, is fairly evenly distributed over each age-group.

Length of Sentences. The following table gives an analysis according to the term of sentence imposed, showing the proportion of each group to the total number of persons received, tt is to be noted that substantially the greater proportion of persons admitted to prison are sentenced to short terms, over 60 per cent, of the total number received being for sentences under three months. As examples of these, no fewer than 553 distinct persons were imprisoned for drunkenness or breaches of the Licensing Act, and 64 persons were committed for using obscene language. Most of these offences are in the nature of nuisances rather than crimes. Short sentences are imposed by the Courts primarily for punitive and deterrent purposes, but as our prisons are run on humanitarian lines directed primarily towards rehabilitation to good citizenship it is questionable whether these short sentences served under the ameliorated conditions fulfil a useful purpose. Time is an essential element in habit-formation, as well as in the matter of affording an opportunity to provide some form of vocational training designed to assist the offender to earn an honest livelihood on release. Time is also an important factor from the deterrent point of view, for loss of liberty, apart from the stigma and disgrace, is virtually the only punishment that imprisonment under present-day conditions involves. Unless an offence is sufficiently grave to warrant the imposition of a fairly substantial term some alternative to imprisonment in many cases would be more fitting. It is observed in the Criminal Justice Bill (Imp.) that it is provided a Court shall not impose imprisonment on an offender under twenty-one years of age unless it is of opinion that no other method of dealing with him is appropriate, and where it imposes imprisonment it is required to state the reason for its opinion that no other method of dealing with him is appropriate. The general trend in most enlightened countries overseas lies towards extra-mural treatment of offenders, as far as practicable, having due regard to the safety and interests of society.

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New-Zealand- t. .,. , , Year. born (excluding Maoris. ana Total. Maoris). Forel § n - 1938 .. .. 1,248 252 724 2,224 1937 .. .. 1,383 257 351 1,991 1936 .. .. 1,022 199 569 1,790 • 1935 .. .. 1,256 226 676 2,158 1934 .. .. 1,416 211 749 2,376 1933 .. .. 1,604 253 874 2,731 1932 .. .. 1,941 316 1,144 3,401

Age-group. | 1933. j 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. ' 1938. Under 20 .. .. 175 120 131 96 115 --T23 20-25 .. .. .. 459 391 350 185 303 362 25-30 .. .. .. 403 343 321 254 282 321 30-40 .. . . .. 747 640 545 437 456 . 555 40 and upwards .. 937 878 809 715 831 861 Not stated .. .. 10 4 2 3 4 2 Totals .. 2,731 2,376 2,158 1,790 1,991 2,224

Number of Prisoners. Percentage to Total JNumber sentenced. Term of Sentence. 1937. 1938. 1937. 1938. Under one month .. .. .. 808 873 40-5 39-3 ■One month and under three months .. 413 514 20-8 23-1 Three months and under six months .. 230 291 11-8 13-1 ■ Six months and under twelve months .. 155 161 7-8 7-3 One year and under three years .. .. 303 287 15-4 12-9 Three years and under five years .. .. 72 79 3-2 3-5 Five years and over .. .. .. 10 19 0-5 0-8 Totals .. .. .. .. 1,991 2,224 100-0 100-0