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1949 NEW ZEALAND

OFFENDERS PROBATION UNDER OFFENDERS PROBATION ACT, 1920, AND CRIMES AMENDMENT ACT, 1910 (REPORT ON OPERATION OF), FOR THE YEAR 1948

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, 4th August, 1949. 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 ended 31st December, 1948. I have, &c., H. G. R. Mason, Minister of Justice.

The Chief Probation Officer to the Hon. the Minister of Justice. Sir, — I have the honour to present the annual report on the operations under the Offenders Probation Act, 1920, and the parole of prisoners under the Crimes Amendment Act, 1910, and the Prevention of Crime Act, 1924, for the year ended 31st December, 1945. An epitome of the reports of the four principal District Probation Officers is annexed. Offenders Probation Act Section The statistics appended hereto show that there were 31 more persons admitted to probation during 1948 than during 3947, the total number of new cases being 1,072, which is the highest figure reached since probation was first instituted as an alternative to imprisonment. Incidentally it may be mentioned that as the number of committals to prison in 1948 was more than 300 less than during the previous year it will be seen, when taken in conjunction with the probation figures, that the amount of serious crime in New Zealand during 1948 was less than during 1947,