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1945 NE W ZEAL A N I)

PRISONS (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR 1944-45 ALSO OPERATIONS OF THE OFFENDERS PROBATION ACT (REPORT ON) FOR THE YEAR 1944-45

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

The Hon. the Minister op Justice to His Excellency the Governor-General. Wellington, 3rd September, 1945. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Controller-General on the prisons and Borstal institutions of the Dominion for the year 1944-45. I have, &c., H. G. B. Mason, Minister of Justice.

The Controller-General of Prisons to the Hon. the Minister on Justice. I have the honour to present the annual report of the Prisons Department for the financial year ended 31st March, 1945, showing also the criminal statistics for the year ending 31st December, 1944. Annexed hereto are the reports of the Controlling Officers for the principal prisons and Borstal institutions. These indicate the wide range of activities carried on, all of which, besides being of social or economic worth, have a reclamative motive and are designed to promote self-esteem and habits of industry. The financial and industrial returns show that a high standard of efficiency and production has been maintained. The Department's policy features an endeavour to arouse a sense of responsibility and interest through a regular routine of useful work, subjecting inmates at the same time, as far as practicable, to socializing influences and training with a view to equipping them to take their place as useful members of society on their release. The results testify to the efficacy of the methods —namely, the fact that less than 25 per cent, of those sentenced to reformative detention or substantial terms of imprisonment offend again after release on the recommendation by the Prisons Board, and approximately 18 per cent, of the total released after serving a term of borstal detention during the past twenty years appeared before the Courts again. Statistics These show a decline in the number of commitments to prison and a fall in the daily average in custody as compared with the previous year. The usual statistical tables of receptions and discharges are published as an annexure hereto. A comparative summary is here set out showing the figures of the total number dealt with during the past five years: —

The foregoing table shows the total receptions each year. This includes in some cases the reception of the same person more than once. The number of distinct persons received during 1944 was 3,284, or 372 less than the number received during the year 1943. The fall in the number of receptions would have been more pronounced but for the fact that 108 military defaulters and courts-martial prisoners were received into prison during the year,

__ 1941. 1942. 1943. j 1944. Number in custody at beginning of year .. .. 895 1,015 1,064 1,077 Number received during year .. .. .. 4,828 5,216 4,622 4,089 Number discharged or transferred .. .. .. 4,708 5,167 4,608 4,173 Number in prison at end of year .. .. •• 1,015 1,064 1,077 993