H.—2oa

4

Having but temporarily assumed the office of Acting-President of the Prisons Board during the absence from the Dominion of the Hon. Mr. Justice Reed, C.8.E., President of the Board, I do not propose to comment on the foregoing statistics except to note that the satisfactory results shown by the statistics for previous years have continued to be maintained. During the last year the Board has availed itself considerably of the services of the mental specialists attached to the Mental Hospitals Department, in conformity with an arrangement recently made whereby the psychiatrists attached to that Department would be available to make reports on any prisoner as required for the Board's information. The Board also records its appreciation of the assistance given by the many citizens who help in connection with the after-care of prisoners, both by way of finding employment and in assisting in their rehabilitation in the community. The Board desires to place on record its deep sense of loss in the passing of its late President the Hon. Sir William Sim, and the high regard and affection in which he was held by the members. A. L. Herdman, Acting-President. 26th July, 1929.

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