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The Napier, Gisborne, and Greymouth Prisons, in size, are little more than police gaols. The numbers detained are small, but it is necessary to maintain the small gaols on account of the long distances to transport men sentenced to short terms in some of the more remotely situated towns. With the steady improvement in road facilities this necessity diminishes. Clyde and Timaru Gaols were closed some time ago, and recently it has been decided to close the Greymouth Gaol. The Gisborne Gaol at times is empty, but owing to the influx of men to the railway works in the district it cannot be closed at present. Waikeria Borstal comprises a farm of 4,336 acres. Every phase of farming is carried on —sheep, cattle, dairying, cropping, horticulture, tobacco-growing, pig husbandry, poultry-farming, and gardening. Three of the dairies are equipped with mechanical milking-plant, and at one milking is done by hand. By this means lads obtain an opportunity of acquiring an all-round experience, and the fact that farmers round about eagerly seek the services of released lads is a tribute to the training they receive. In addition to the farm-work there is the carpenters' shop, where all builders' joinery and furniture is made, and the garage and blacksmithy. The allocation of the lads to the various activities is based, after careful observation, by experienced officers, on the particular aptitudes of the inmates. The laundry has just been equipped with modern mechanical plant. This will add to the interest of the work, relieve the drudgery, and release all but a minimum number of lads for more normal vocations for young men. As part of the plan for keeping down the cost of prison administration, as much as possible of each institution's requirements are produced by the Department, and Waikeria now supplies Mount Eden with meat, milk, and vegetables. Incidental to this arrangement it was found necessary to install a chilling-plant at Waikeria to ensure that the perishable foodstuffs would keep. Borstal training is a balanced round of work, education, and recreation. On the recreational side numerous sports activities are indulged in—cricket, tennis, and football. Outside teams visit the institution, and the institution teams go to outside playing-fields. The excellent deportment of the lads on these occasions has excited favourable comment and is evidence of the training in selfcontrol and their capacity to " play the game." It is of interest to mention that five Borstal lads were selected to play in the " curtain-raiser " to the recent Springbok match at Hamilton. Regular school classes are taken by a qualified teacher, who is original and enthusiastic in his work. He avails himself of modern technique, which involves the use of films. Debates and discussions are organized, and lecturers and others regularly visit to provide cultural entertainment. The inmates themselves have organized several concerts and given performances outside for charitable purposes and for the entertainment of the inmates of the Tokanui Mental Hospital. The Department is specially indebted to Mr. E. Finlay, of Hamilton, for his untiring assistance and interest in the inmates. The Invercargill Borstal is for younger lads than those detained at Waikeria—the ages being from fifteen to twenty. The purpose is identical —namely, the development of self-reliant and responsible units of society. The curriculum in the Invercargill Borstal embraces a wider range of cultural courses than is practicable at Waikeria, the nearness to the town making it easier to secure the services of people competent and willing to take special classes. Voluntary helpers can visit with more convenience. The customary school classes are regularly conducted by qualified teachers, and special subjects are taken by experts in wool classing, agriculture, singing, and music. Special instructors take classes and teach lads in the following artisan and other trades : Carpentering, blacksmithing, painting, signwriting, cooking, breadmaking, boot making and repairing, and butchering. It is of interest to mention that the Invercargill Borstal won the Bledisloe Cup for the best dressed pig from the Invercargill Royal Show at Smithfield. The blacksmith shop and the carpenters' shop have been recently equipped with modern plant, which should enable a number of lads who have an aptitude in this direction to obtain experience in handling up-to-date equipment. A large farm and vegetable garden also provide scope for vocational training. This embraces dairying, cropping, and pig husbandry and sheep. The institution library has been added to considerably during the year, and in addition a number of text-books on criminology and the treatment of delinquents have been obtained as a nucleus of a technical library for the staff. The Department is fortunate in the exceedingly helpful interest taken by a large number of Invercargill people in'the Borstal. The Rotary Club, the Official Visiting Committee, and the Ladies' Committee render a most valuable public service. The institution of a Ladies' Committee to visit lads, particularly when sick or in hospital and to co-operate in their after-care, has proved a great success, and recently an experiment was tried of having a matron on the staff. This will shortly be made a permanent institution. The Point Halswell Borstal Institution is for young women offenders. The underlying principles are the same as for the institutions for young men with the necessary adaptations for the difference in sex. The main industrial activities at Point Halswell are laundry work, domestic work, and gardening. An up-to-date machine laundry has been installed and has resulted in the elimination of much drudgery and has facilitated the handling of the work, besides providing useful training to the girls for employment on release. A balanced programme to equip inmates to take their place as useful and dependable members of the community is carried out at Point Halswell. In this work the Superintendent is helped in a generous manner by the Women's Borstal Association, who are unflagging in their interest in the inmates both in respect of their in-care and after-care. The successful results of Borstal training is evidenced by the fact that since the inception of the Borstals in 1924, of those released only 11 per cent, have again relapsed.

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