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The daily average in custody for the year 1942 (1,029) has gone up in consequence of these committals to the extent of 71 on the average for the previous year. The ratio of distinct prisoners to the general population for 1942 was 18 46, as compared with 14-53 for 1941. In making a comparison, allowance must be made not only for the fact that the general population is down slightly, but also for the abnormal circumstances affecting last year's committals. Compared with earlier years, the general trend is downward (1890, 38-61; 1910, 32 45; 1914, 3105; 1932, 22 9; 1933, 1775; 1935, 13-76; 1939, 15-38; 1940, 13-44). Industrial and Financial.—For occupational and vocational purposes industrial activities have continued. These comprise farming, gardening, quarrying, roadworks, tailoring, bootmaking, and laundering. Quite a substantial part of the Department's present activities are directly related to the war effort. In particular, some large orders for Army boots have been executed, and thousands of Army and Air Force blankets and equipment have been laundered. This extension of a normal activity came at a time when the commercial laundries were overloaded and unable to cope with the large demand made upon them by the armed services. The Department lias also been able to supply produce from its various farms and gardens to the Army and Air 1 Force. At one institution a special area of vegetables was grown under contract to assist in fulfilling the needs of the armed services, and arrangements are in hand for an area of 100 acres to be put into garden produce for the same purpose. In a normal year before the outbreak of war the Department would sell from its various farms approximately eight hundred head of pigs. For the year just ended the sales of pigs reached the outstanding figure of 2,447. This excellent result has been due to departmental collaboration whereby this Department has been enabled to utilize kitchen garbage from Army camps and Air Force stations proximate to our own institutions. The expenditure and credits-in-aid under vote, " Prisons," for 1942-43 were £166,982 and £99,336 respectively, or i„ net expenditure of £67,646, as compared with a net expenditure for of £78,190. In other words, despite the increased number of inmates, due to increased production the cost to the taxpayer has been £10,544 less. Socializing Activities.—ln consequence of the restriction on transport there has been a slight diminution in the amount of visiting by social workers, but the Department has continued regularly to show sound films at all institutions. Educational classes have all been maintained, and the various ministers of religion and others interested in the spiritual well-being of prisoners have not relaxed in their ministrations. B. L. Dallard, Controller-General of Prisons.

OFFENDERS PROBATION: SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT (UNDER OFFENDERS PROBATION ACT, 1920, AND CRIMES AMENDMENT ACT, 1910) FOR THE YEAR 1942 The Chief Probation Officer to the Hon. the Minister of Justice. The following is the annual report under the Offenders Probation Act and the Crimes Amendment Act for the year ended 31st December, 1942. For reasons of paper economy this report is again being submitted as a supplement to the Prisons Report, and the usual reports of District Probation Officers have been omitted. The reports show that probationers, in the main, have reacted reasonably satisfactorily, the number who have relapsed being just under 10 per cent, of the total dealt with. During the year 807 persons were admitted to probation—i.e., 72 less than the total for the previous year. The amount paid by probationers last year under orders for restitution totalled £5,746. The success of this work of rehabilitating offenders has largely been due to the large body of voluntary workers who assist the Department, and in this respect I desire to pay special tribute to the Women's Borstal Association, the Prisoners' Aid Societies, and the Salvation Army authorities. B. L. Dallard, Chief Probation Officer.

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