H—2o

In June, 1945, two " Revision Authorities " were set up to review the ■cases of military defaulters detained for the duration of the war. Towards the latter part of the year a commencement was made in releasing these men, and by the 31st December, 1945, 14 had been released from prison. By the end, of May, 1946, all military defaulters detained in prison, with the exception of 2 serving* sentence for other offences, were released. Courts-martial Prisoners. —During the past four years the following number of prisoners were received into prison from the Army and Air Force:— 1942 .. .. 124 1944 .. .. 52 1943 . . .. 105 ! 1945 . . . . 63 HEALTH OF PRISONERS The general health of prisoners has been good. There were 88 males and 10 females admitted for treatment at the public hospitals or the prison infirmaries during the year. The daily average on the sick-list was 24-31, which is just over 2 per cent, of the daily average number of prisoners in custody. The controlling officers of the various institutions report that the Medical Officers have been attentive in their care of prisoners. The regular •conditions of living and the plain and wholesome diet has resulted in a low incidence of sickness and a general improvement in physical condition. With a view to avoiding any lessening of the calorific content of the ration, the meat ration to prisoners remains at 16 oz. per day. This is because prisoners are unable to procure substitutory foods. The butter, sugar, and tea ration has been reduced, bringing it into conformity with the ration allowed to the civil population. The Department has continued a close working arrangement with the Mental Hospitals Department. I should like to express appreciation of the ready co-operation and assistance given by the psychiatrists attached to that Department in advising respecting the treatment of any inmate of impaired mentality, and in helping those who labour under some tension or some real or imaginary compulsion neurosis, to resolve their difficulties and approach the problems of life in a more rational and socially acceptable way. INDUSTRIAL AND FINANCIAL Hereunder is set out a comparative statement covering the gross expenditure from the departmental vote and the credits that have resulted from the sales of production derived by the effective marshalling of prison labour:—

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Year. Gross Expenditure. Credits. Net Expenditure. Total. Per Head. Total. | Per Head. Total. Per Head. £ £ £ £ £ £ 1936-37 .. 146,314 148-54 68,661 69-70 77,653 78-83 1937-38 .. 164,132 192-64 69,075 81-07 95,057 111-56 1938-39 .. 152,093 177-89 64,910 75-92 87,183 101-97 1939-40 .. 155,333 170-16 74,348 81-97 80,985 88-19 1940-41 162,426 179-47 77,908 86-08 84,518 93-39 1941-42 .. 158,704 163-44 80,514 82-92 78,190 80-52 1942-43 .. 166,982 161-34 99,336 95-98 67,646 65 • 36 1943-44 173,089 159-97 99,956 92-38 73,133 67-59 1944-45 .. 179,627 174-92 100,451 97-82 79,176 77-10 i945-46 .. 195,648 186-58 98,560 93-99 97,088 92-59