19

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WELLINGTON PRISON. The general health of the prisoners was very good. The greatest number of cases of sickness at any one time was four males and one female. Admissions to hospital were eight males and two females. Of the offences committed by prisoners, thirty-four were against officers, fifty-eight for disobedience of orders and idleness, and ninety-eight for other breaches of the regulations. Seventy military offenders were received during the year. There were fifty-five males and three females admitted for medical treatment. The quality of the rations issued to the prisoners was excellent, with the result that no complaints were made. The material supplied for manufacture and other articles gave every satisfaction. The conduct of the officers was very good, no offences of a serious nature being reported. They carried out their duties in a very satisfactory manner. The Visiting Justices made frequent visits to the prisons. The Official Visitors—Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Brigadier Glover—made weekly visits to the female Prison, conversed with the prisoners (ofttimes in private), and gave them timely aid on their discharge. Mr. T. P. Mills made frequent visits to the prisons and gave friendly advice, especially to the younger offenders. Representatives of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist, Churches, and the Salvation Army held regular Church services on Sundays; and the splendid band of the Salvation Army visited the Prison quarterly and dispensed music, to the delight and appreciation of the inmates. On Christmas Day, by permission of the Controller-General of Prisons, Mr. Edwin Arnold, V.J., brought a concert party to the Prison, and the female prisoners were treated to some good songs, solos, and recitations by the party. Prisoners were employed excavating for the Technical Education Board at the Mount Cook Reserve. Briekmaking was carried on for three months ending 31st March, 1919, and 311,450 bricks were manufactured. 502,360 bricks were sold, of the value of £1,594 10s. lOd. A large quantity of firewood was cut, and sold to the State Coal and Internal Affairs Departments and others. At Point Halswell the prisoners were employed during the year excavating and improving the Prison site, clearing the trees on the plantation, clearing and burning oft the fire-breaks. A quantity of cocksfoot was cut; wire was unrolled for fencing and other purposes; cable was removed from the sea, dealt with, and forwarded to other prisons; the grass was cut on magazine mounds at Shelly Bay; the Beach Road was repaired from Shelly Bay to Scorching Bay, and a retaining-wall was built. Milk was supplied to the Terrace and Mount Cook Prisons, amounting in value to £59 os. 6d. Thirty-two pigs were sold, netting £120 9s. Bd. WI TAKO PRISON (TRENTHAM). The conduct and industry of the general body of the prisoners has been exemplary throughout the year. The health of the prisoners has been very good. Rations have been obtained from the Military Supply Depot, and have been of the first quality. The site for the new Prison has been cleared and levelled, and a small reservoir has been built which ensures an ample supply of spring water for all purposes. Owing to the train "cut" some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining supplies of building-timber, &c, and it was found necessary to employ motor traffic to keep up the supply. Single-cell accommodation has been completed for twenty-seven prisoners. The Prison kitchen, staff dining-room, and bathing-house for Prison are also complete. The necessary buildings for offices, stores, visiting-room, sleeping-room for staff, &c, are just on completion. A road to give access to the Prison has been formed and metalled. Some 2 acres of ground has been cleared and ploughed, and the vegetables for the Prison are now being produced by Prison labour. A start has been made on the draining of the swamp, and it is hoped to have the main drains completed within the next twelve months. The military camp authorities have been of considerable assistance, and I wish to record my thanks for the help they have rendered us.

FIRST OFFENDERS' PROBATION ACT, AND GENERAL PROBATION. REPORTS OF THE HONORARY PROBATION OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st MARCH, 1919. Rev. F. R. Jeffreys, General Probation Officer, Auckland. I have much pleasure in presenting the annual report for the year's work ending 31st March. In many ways the work has been much the same as in previous years, and the experiences met with have more than ever confirmed the opinion that 1 have expressed in previous reports relative to the value of the probation system. The experience of the five years during which 1 have been