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Wi Tako Prison (Superintendent: Me. R. C. Haywood) There were 49 prisoners confined in this prison at the beginning of the year, 138 were received during the year and 137 discharged, leaving 50 in custody on the night of 31st December, 1949. Three prisoners were admitted to hospital during the year. The health of the prisoners has been good, the medical officer, Dr. L. J. Taylor, attending at the prison at least once weekly. The quality of the rations has been maintained at a high standard ; meat, milk, vegetables, and potatoes being obtained from the prison farm, and bread baked in the prison bakehouse. The conduct of the prisoners has been quite good. Nineteen minor breaches of the regulations committed by 17 men were dealt with, 13 by the Visiting Justice and 6 by myself.. Three prisoners escaped from custody but all were recaptured. The introduction during the year of monthly instead of two-monthly visits by the departmental cinema has been much appreciated by the men. Cricket was played on several holidays, and with the provision of new cricketing gear by the Department, it is intended to devote more time to this sport. Thanks are due to the Eegional Council of Adult Education for their monthly visits on Sunday afternoons and their programmes of educational films. Thanks are also due to the representatives of the various denominations (Church of England, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Upper Hutt Mission) who visited this prison on Sundays and conducted service. Christmas gifts were received from the Upper Hutt Mission, the Howard League, and the Y.M.C.A., Trentham Camp. Routine maintenance has been carried out throughout the year both to the institution and the staff cottages. Favourable comment has been passed by the Visiting Justices and the medical officer on the condition of the prison since its renovation. A plant for the treatment of sewage and new internal drains were installed during the year. The plant is functioning efficiently. A booster pump and new fire-fighting equipment has been installed. The prison has also been connected to the fire-station by direct line. A new dairy in concrete has been built and a four-cow milking-plant installed. Our production is up 25 per cent, on last year. It is intended to further increase the production, but it will take time as it is necessary to breed most of our own stock owing to dairy stock being difficult to procure on the open market. Extensions to the piggery buildings and pens were made during the year in following our policy of increasing the number of home-bred pigs fattened. Pig-prices have remained good and the piggery has enjoyed another successful year. The garden has not been the financial success anticipated owing to the difficulty •of disposing of large quantities of vegetables and the poor prices obtained at the market. In consequence, we have reduced the area of our plantings this season. The sheep have shown a good return, there being an increase in the number of lambs and in the quantity of wool disposed of. A large portion of the farm which became infested with rushes during the war period owing to the activities of the Army and the uncertainty of tenure has now been cleared. Of this area, 116 acres has been put under cultivation, 59 acres of which have been sown in permanent pasture. Considerable maintenance work has been carried out on fences, culverts, and drains. Twenty-three acres oats and grass, 5 acres rape and grass, 3 acres turnips and grass, ■8 acres mangels, 8 acres swedes, 6 acres chou moullier, 5 acres turnips, 14 acres potatoes, 8 acres permanent pasture, and 6 acres oats for green winter feed were sown during the year, and 64 acres pasture were top-dressed. The provision this year of a tractor has been of assistance in our cropping programme. The tractor and the milking-plant have also enabled us to instruct prisoners in more up-to-date farming methods.

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