H.—2OA

1944 NEW ZEALAND

PRISONS BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF) FOR 1943

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

Members op the Board The Hon Mr. Justice Blaiu (President); Sir Donald McGavin, Kt., C.M.G., D.5.0., M.D. (Lond.), F.R.C.S. (Eng.); B. L. Ballard, Esq.; Theo. G. Gray, Esq., C.M.G., M.8., M.P.0.; and Ernest Edridge, Esq. 12th July, 1944.

g IB I have the honour to forward herewith the report of the Prisons Board for the year 1943. I have, &c., A. "W. Blair, President. The Hon. the Minister of Justice.

REPORT OP THE PRISONS BOARD For the Year ended 31st December, 1943 The Board has to report that during the year it visited each of the prisons, prison camps, and Borstal institutions in the Dominion. It dealt with a total of 957 cases at sixteen meetings held in Wellington and at the various institutions. The following summary gives details of the cases considered and the decisions arrived at: — Cases dealt, with Board's Decisions Persons undergoing Borstal detention . . 373 Recommended for release on probation .. 193 Deferred for later consideration .. .. 164 Applications declined .. .. .. 16 373 373 Persons sentenced to reformative detention 254 Recommended for release on probation . . 119 Recommended for discharge .. .. 3 Deferred for later consideration .. 132 Applications declined .. .. .. Nil 254 254 Persons sentenced to hard labour . . . . 273 Recommended for release on probation . . 177 Recommended for discharge .. .. 9 Deferred for later consideration .. . . 81 Applications declined .. .. .. 6 273 273 Habitual criminals for release or remission of 35 Recommended for release on probation .. 12 head sentence Recommended for remission of head sentence Nil Deferred for later consideration . . . . 23 35 35 Habitual offenders ...... Nil .. Nil Probationers under Grimes Amendment Act 9 Recommended for discharge; .. 8 Applications declined .. .. .. 1 9 9 Probationers under Offenders Probation Act 13 Discharge granted .. .. .. 10 Modification of terms of probation granted Applications declined .. .. ■ ■ 1 13 13 Having regard to the continued paper shortage and the necessity for economy generally, it is intended to make only a brief review of the Board's operations during 1943. The Board, during the year under review, considered 957 cases, or 24 more than the previous year; and it recommended a remission of sentence in 521 cases, as compared with 509 in 1942. . That the percentage of offenders who have responded and evidently made good has been well maintained is disclosed by a comparison of the statistics with those of former reports. Approximately 23 per cent, only of the total number released after undergoing sentences of Borstal detention and reformative detention or imprisonment with hard labour have been reconvicted or failed to comply with the conditions of their release.