PRISON REPORT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2152, 7 August 1907, Page 2

PRISON REPORT.

WHAT THE MORALLY WEAK ARE COSTING THE COMMUNITY.

SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS

(Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, August,s. « The annual report of the Prisons Depaitment was presented to Parliament to-day. f Colonel Hume, Inspector of Pris- i ons, in his report states that during 1 tho year 1900 the daily average num- <• her of prisoners in the different prisons of the colony was 80.208 males (■ and 80.73 females, an increaso ot < 73.30 males and 8.03 females. The < greatest increases were in Auckland I 1 and Lyttelton, and the deereasdfe m | Wellington, Wanganui, and Napier. 1 According to figures supplied by 1’ | tho Rogistrar-Gonoral tho population 1 of tho colony at tho end of tho past | year was 50*7,189 males and 449,268 I females, a total of 956,459, while the 1 I number of prisoners at the same date I I was 891. Th 0 avorage percentage, I therefore, of prisoners to population I I was 0.0931, as against 0.0875 in the 1 1 previous year, but as about one-sixth I I of tho prisoners passed through the I I gaols more than once the real percen- I I tage of prisoners to population was I 0.08504, not including the acquittals I after remand. I I “It is satisfactory to find,” says the I I report, “a substantial reduction in I I the number of supposed lunatics, but I I I must again call attention to the I I improper course adopted of sending I I supposed lunatics to such places as I I prisons, and though every care and I I consideration is shown to them, they I I cap not possibly receive the proper I treatment and care due to such poor 1 creatures from those ignorant, of the I proper methods of dealing with such diseases, and the sooner they are pro- | vided for, as laid down in clause 67 j I of tho Lunatics Act, 1882, tho better ] it will ho for all parties concerned. Ten deaths of prisoners^..occurred I during the year. T-hegesyreTe no executions. One I orisonor was sentenced to death, hut I the sentence was commuted to life I imprisonment. Thero were 10 escapes during the I year, the escapees being all speedily ' recaptured. ' I At the close of tho year there were > 812 males and 79 females in prison, 1 an increase of 68 males and 13 fe- ' I males, as compared with tho com- ! I mencement of the year. I During tho year 5468 males and 580 - I females passed through the prisons, 5 as against 5750 males and 639 females ; I for the previous year. Aa all prisonI ;rs are included each time they enter

bn fresh sentences, about one-sixtli I are shown more than once. I The prisoners were maintained last I vear at a gross cost per head of ab- I out £47 8s 7d, against £4B 17s in the previous year. As an exemplification I of tho different prices in the various I localities, it is pointed out that in I Wellington it' cost £1872 15s 4d to I feed a daily avorage of 159 prisoners, | while in Auckland it only cost £2085 I 14s lid to feed a daily average of I 269. At New Plymouth it cost £365 I 19s id to feed a' daily average of 23.58, while in Wanganui it only cost £317 7s 3d for 26.47 prisoners, yet, as I before stated, supplies are tendered for in the same way, and the rations are of the same amount and quality all over the colony. As regards‘ the expenses of prisoners at tree-planting prisons, it is Rated that at Waiotapu, where there were 6 officers and 56 .prisoners, the gross annual cost per prisoner was £46 15s 6d. At Dumgree, where thero were 3 officers and 29 prisoners, I the gross cost was £44 10s 2d. At Hanmer, where there were 3 officers I and 23 prisoners, the gross cost was I £46 5s 2d. At Waipa, where there I were 3 officers and 24 prisoners, the I gross annual cost .was £46 7s lid. I The report says: —“Statements I are made from time to time that there I should be a better classification of I prisoners in and out of gaols than is I at present carried out, but these reI marks emanate generally from perI sons who do not know, and will not I take the trouble to inquire. The I classifications adopted as far as pracI ticable are to keep entirely separate I from adults young prisoners who are I likely to be contaminated by associaI tion with their older comrades in | crime, a classification of persons doI ing their first sentence, and lastly a classification of the other Inmates of the gaols in the larger prisons. Every one ocoupies a separate cell, except those kept in association on medical grounds.”