H.—2oa

1930. NEW ZEALAND

PRISONS DEPARTMENT: PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1929.

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

Members of the Board. Hon. Mr. Jcjstice Reed, C.B.E. (President) ; Sir Donald McGavin, Kt., C.M.G., M.I). (Loud.) ; D. G. A. Cooper, Esq. r John Alexander, Esq;, C.M.G. ; Theo. G. Gray, Esq , M.8., M.P.C.; Mrs. C. A. Fraer : and B. L. Ballard,. Esq., Controller-General of Prisons.

Sib23rd July, 1930. I have the honour to forward herewith the report of the Prisons Board for the year 1929.. As you are aware, Sir, for the greater part of the period covered by this report I was absent on leave abroad. During this period—that is, from the 19th February, 1929, until the end of the year — the Honourable Sir Alexander Herdman, Kt., was Acting-President of the Board. The Board desires to place upon record its profound sense of loss in the deaths of the Right Honourable Sir Robert Stout, P. 0., K.C.M.G., Sir George Fenwick, and William Reece, Esq. Each of these gentlemen had been an original foundation member of the Board, and for many years rendered valuable voluntary public service in this connection. Since the last annual report vacancies on the Board have been filled by the appointments of Dr. T. G. Gray, Director-General of Mental Hospitals, and Mrs. C. A. Fraer, of Christchurch. Reviewing the operations of the Board briefly, the results may be regarded on the whole as satisfactory. There has been a slight increase in the number granted a remission of their sentences on probation as compared with the previous year. The percentage of lapses subsequent to release, with the exception of habitual criminals, has been small, only 16 per cent, of those ordered Borstal detention by the Courts under the Prevention of Crime Act, 1924, having again appeared before the Courts after release. In this class, if the percentage of failures is calculated on the total number who have passed through the Borstal Institutions by transfer or otherwise since their inception, the statistics show that just over 10 per cent, only have relapsed into crime subsequent to their release.. The number released after serving sentences of reformative detention or imprisonment involving hard labour, who were reconvicted or failed to comply with the conditions of their release, was just over 26 per cent. Not so satisfactory have been the results in regard to habitual criminals—s7 per cent, of those who had been declared habitual criminals and released in terms of the Crimes Amendment Act since the constitution of the Prisons Board in 1911 have been returned to prison for non-compliance with the conditions of their probation or for further offences. I have, &c., The Hon. the Minister of Justice. J. R. Reed, President.

H.—2OA.

The Board has to report that during the year ended 31st December, 1929, it dealt with a total of 1.372 cases at meetings held at Wellington and the various institutions of the Dominion. The ollowing table sets out under their respective statutory headings the number of cases considered at each meeting, together with the decisions reached : —

Table A.

Table B. —Showing Releases and Discharges, etc., effected each Month for 1929.

Offenders Probation Act, 1920. During the year sixteen applications for discharge from probation were considered by the Board, and of this number ten were granted. Table C. —Reformative-detention Cases dealt with by the Board from January, 1911, to December, 1929. Total number sentenced to reformative detention .. .. .. .. .. 3,534 Released and discharged on recommendation of Board .. .. .. .. 2,608 Discharged from reformatories on completion of full sentence . . .. .. 568 Total number released .. .. .. -- .. 3,176 Of whom there were — Returned to reformatories for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 89 Committed to reformatories for further offences whilst on probation .. 184 Sentenced for offences committed after discharge or expiry of period of probation .. .. .. . • • • .. .. 494 Total number returned and recommitted .. . . .. 767 Absconded and not traced .. .. . . . . .. .. 26 Died .. ■ • ■ • • • • • • • • • • • 8 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles .. .. .. .. 59 Known to have been killed in action whilst on active service .. .. 3 Returned to Weraroa .. . . .. . . . . .. 1 Transferred to Rotoroa Inebriates Institution .. . . .. . . 1 Transferred to mental hospitals .. .. .. . . 3 Transferred to Mount Magdala Home.. .. .. . . . . 1 Transferred to Salvation Army Home . . . . . . .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1929 . . . . .. 81 Number who have not offended since their discharge or expiration of period of probation, and presumably doing well .. . . 2,225 2,409 3,176

2

Cases considered of ! Decisions showing how Cases were ■3 -a tj ■a'SS Probationers for So -a c £|ojoo« io w c 8 a in £ 1 a go Discharge from Pro- "£ £ S I «° Ha'!^ Month of H j ?; k « bation or Variation ® a ' ■§ o E.S Ms an a Meeting. | I || J |gf i Tern, of Eelease. |» j| | Ifcll S S| ~f I § if i i !«I crimes Offender , g 3| I 1 N!a lIS g|l s s g'sg 'Sg Am f? d ; , Proba - 3 s i 8«gg£<«£ s„s [ §1 o -3 S3K-S 38 5« «£Wtc mentAet. tioners. o ® h ,oij KM o n 3 PI, .. H a |M o m ; " H . March .. ! 9 9 4 1.. .. .. 23 3 18 1 ! .. . . .. 23 3 20 23 .. 46 15 24 .. 7 46 27 8 77 43 . . I .. . . 156 43 82 20 10 1 156 4 2 36 27 ., .. . . 6 75 18 28 3 20 6 . . 75 April 1 5 3..:.. .. .. 9 5 4 9 37 12 56 40 .... 1 1 147 45 94 7 1 147 1209 .. 5 .. .. 214 66 146 1 1 214 May .. 1 •• •• •• 1 1 ■■ •• ■ 1 July .. 42 5 48 48 .... 4 2 149 42 79 22 6 149 21 •• 21 9 10 2 21 2 19 , 10 .. 31 9 14 1 7 31 26 12 .. .. .. .. 38 18 16 1 3 38 October 70 3 71 ' 53 .. 3 200 58 86 35 18 2 1 200 November 52 45 74 83 3 1 4 262 82 14] 25 9 2 3 .. 262 Total.. 466 87 446 346 1 4 6 16 1,372 413 743 118 83 10 4 1 1,372

I I j Released on Probation. Discharged from Prison. ' Discharged from Probation. S ta I a § £ s ta a I §1 1929. _§ 4;+3.2 j .-2 J§ 4 a? '-§.2 t .2 j & rgcs '-§.2 ,.2 -Q'S '■S'rtS S 5 *i 2 -v '3 <» I 05 iti Cd « C5 05 .j 05 15 _i,05 +5 O J5 r 05 15 fl; © _■ 03 C3 05 « 0 © J OJ © JS .O <D ' H <—* Ti t/2 '-s ft X r-i 4J X ! m C/5 35 'E* H [O t r l- rn -f-i X ' U *r* R (O XT) rf] 4J t/2 rf f 7T rfl W cfi U , "2 '£ ?3 O ffl rf M 05 K: »-I O3 f-i 05 ' H d -P 'E t2 05 «3 (_( 05 Cu I5prg f-i -4^> «o j-So So «5o g.ao So -So |T.o «o«&3 c January .. .. i 6 2 { 10 22 4 . . 1 1 .. j .. .. .. .. . . 46 February .. .. 5 .. 6 10 3 .. 1 I .. . . 1 26 March .. . . ■ ■ 12 I 17 21 2 .. 4 ; 1 .. .. .. .. 6 1 65 April 5 | 1 12 0,4.. 1 1 1 31 May . . .. •. 13 2 19 56 5 .. 4 99 June .. .. ■ • 10 .. 15 7 3 .. I . . . . .. .. .. .. .. 36 July .. .. .. 9 3 9 13 6 6 .. 1 .. 1 . . 48 August.. .. .. 12 . . 8 7 4 .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. j 33 September .. .. 7 11 9 9 2 .. 1 29 October .. .. 1 1 11 24 9 .. 2 3 1 .. 51 November .. .. 8 1 13 4 3 .. 2 .. .. .. .. 31 December .. .. 2 2 13 8 1 .. 5 .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 34 Total .. .. 90 | 14 142 ] 87 46 .. 30 3 .. 1 .. .. 10 6 529

H— 20a.

3

Of the total number released after undergoing reformative detention 24-15 per cent, have been returned to prison either for non-compliance with conditions of release or for committing further offences, 2-68 per cent, have left the Dominion or absconded, 0-57 per cent, have died or been transferred to mental hospitals, &c., and 72-60 per cent, have not further offended. Table D.—Habitual Criminals dealt with by the Board erom January, 1911, to December, 1929. Total number declared habitual criminals .. .. .. .. .. .. 464 Of whom there were released on recommendation of Board .. .. .. .. 417 Of whom there were — Returned to prison for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 46 Committed to prison for further offences .. .. .. .. 150 Sentenced for offences committed after their discharge from prison or from probation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 42 Total number returned .. . .. .. .. 238 Absconded and not traced .. . . .. .. .. .. 33 Died .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 14 Left Dominion to return to former domiciles . . .. .. .. 52 Transferred to mental hospital .. .. . . .. .. 1 Transferred to consumptive sanatorium .. . . .. .. 1 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1929 .. .. . . 26 Number who have not offended, as far as known, since their discharge from probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. .. 52 179 417 Of the total number of habitual criminals released on probation 57-07 per cent, were returned to prison either for non-compliance with the conditions of probation or for committing further offences. No offences are recorded against the remaining 42-93 per cent., but our tables show that 3-59 per cent, died or were transferred to mental hospitals, whilst 20-39 per cent, left the Dominion or absconded. This leaves a definite percentage of 18-95 who have remained in the Dominion and have not further ■offended. Since 1917 the Board has dealt with the following hard-labour cases : — Table E. —Hard-labour Cases. Total cases considered .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,605 Number discharged from prison oil recommendation of Board .. ... 396 Number released on probation on recommendation of Board .. .. 596 Left the Dominion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Absconded Recommitted for other offences .. .. .. .. .. 35 Completed probation .. .. .. .. .. .. 422 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1929 .. .. .. 37 Table F. —Borstal Cases dealt with by the Board from January, 1925, to December, 1929. Total number committed to Borstal Institutions .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,089 Released and discharged on the recommendation of Prisons Board .. .. .. 565 Released on expiration of term .. .. .. .. .. .. 87 Total number released .. . . .. .. • • • • • • • • 652 Of whom there were — Returned to institutions for non-compliance with conditions of release .. 8 Recommitted to institutions for further offences whilst on probation .. .. 43 Sentenced for offences committed after discharge or expiry of period of probation 58 Total number returned and recommitted .. .. .. .. .. 109 Reporting on probation at 31st December, 1929 .. .. .. .. 208 Number who have not been recommitted since their discharge or expiration of period of probation, and presumably doing well .. .. .. 335 543 652 Of the total number of 652 released since the coming into operation of the Prevention of Crime Act, 109 have subsequently been recommitted, or 16-71 per cent. only.

H.—2oa

4

GENERAL SUMMARY. The following table shows the cases considered year by year by the Board over the last decade : —

Table G.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (725 copies), £4 15s

Authority : W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l93o.

Price 3dA

Probationers for Discharge from Habitual ' Habitual v Pr + obat £ n or . v Criminals Reformative Hard Borstal Criminals for aria ion erms o Year " and Detention. Labour. Detention, j Remission Probation. Totals. Offenders. Hard Labour. Crjmcg offender Amend- Probament Act. tioners. 1920 .. 74 467 75 .. .. 32 .. 648 1921 .. 75 564 167 .. .. 18 17 841 1922 .. 93 594 271 .. .. 19 30 1,007 1923 .. 74 671 304 .. 4 16 24 1,093 1924 .. 80 683 302 .. 3 13 21 1,102 1925 .. 70 747 295 .. 1 12 9 1.134 1926 .. 49 822 237 .. 2 12 16 1,138 1927 .. 115 766 325 .. 11 13 20 1,250 1928 .. 72 386 321 554 11 6 16 1,366 1929 .. 88 446 346 466 4 6 16 1,372 Total .. 790 6,146 2,643 1,020 36 147 169 10,951 I j