H—2o

INDUSTRIAL AND FINANCIAL Hereunder is set out a comparative statement showing tlie gross cash expenditure from the departmental vote and the cash credits or receipts which have resulted from the industrial and other activities of the Department for occupational purposes :

The increased net cost per head is due to some extent to the smaller number of prisoners dealt with, but apart from this there has been an increase of some £24,000 in the expenditure from vote, " Prisons." The main factors in this increase were : an increase of £lO,OOO in the item " Overtime " consequent upon the introduction of the forty-hour week, and an increase of £15,000 in the " General Prison Industries "" section of the vote. The increase of £lO,OOO on " Overtime " was due to the introduction as from Ist April, 1948, of penal-rate payments to staff for week-end and holiday duty. The £15,000 increase in the " Prison Industries " was due to certain materials purchased becoming available earlier than was anticipated, and also to the purchase of new equipment in the way of transport, farm tractors, and machinery. For many years the development of prison industries was largely the motive being to provide useful employment, and where ample labour was available little was done in the way of mechanization, but in recent .years more consideration has been given to the vocational aspect, and in furtherance of the idea of affording facilities for training prisoners which will assist them in getting employment on release it has been found increasingly desirable to acquire modern mechanical equipment. At one time, for example, milking was done by hand, but now machines are generally installed, and similarly with other phases of farm-work, up-to-date mechanical equipment is used. This adds to the interest of the work and provides better training. It is arguable, because of the possible risk of damage to mechanical appliances by careless handling, just how far the equipping of industries with mechanical aids to be handled by prisoners should go, but the Department feels that training in up-to-date methods and the use of modern equipment is essential to successful*rehabilitation, and that the counter to the risk factor is the development of greater interest in the work, and in supervision. Departmental cash receipts or credits for the year have shown an increase of £1,300 making a total of £114,258, which is another record, as compared with £112,956 for 1948. There was a decrease of credits under the industry, " Mail-bags'," due to fairly large claims being unpaid at 31st March, but when the accounts are completed on a trading, basis it is not anticipated that this industry will show any decrease in net earnings. In last year's report mention was made of an increase of £13,000 in receipts from " Farms and Gardens," and this year there has been a further increase over last year of £2,000. In the main the other industrial undertakings' credits were on a par with the previous year.

8

Year. Gross Expenditure. Credits. Ret Expenditure. Total. Per Head. Total. Per Head. Total. I Per Head. . £ £ £ £ £ £ 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 1 161-34 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 1945-46 195,648 186-58 98,560 93-99 97,088 92-59" 1946-47 212,746 201-59 97,726 92-60 115,020 108-99' 1947-48 .. 252,541 226-17 112,956 101-16 139,585 125-01 1948-49 .. .. 276,894 259-19 114,258 106-95 162,636 152-24 ! ! 1