H—2o

The conduct of the staff during the year has been excellent. The health of the staff has been reasonably good; only 3 officers were off duty for any length of time through sickness. At the beginning of the year there were 14 officers other than the Superintendent on the staff. Four new members were taken on the strength, but unfortunately 8 officers left the service during the year, which left us with only 10 officers. A very good return from the dairy was made this year. Milk was sold to the city milk-supply and to the staff. Thirty head of cattle were killed for rations during the year. The returns from the sale of wool and skins were quite satisfactory. Pigs were obtained, as usual, from other institutions for fattening at this prison. The amount realized from the sale of fat pigs was very considerable. Owing to the acute shortage of staff, only the more urgent work has been done on the farm. What work has been done has been with the poorest of labour, as a big portion of the prisoners during the past year have been ship-deserters. These men are almost useless as farm labourers. As has been the case for some years past now, a large portion of the farm has been subject to Army activities. In March last the Public Works Department excavated a large drain 12 ft. deep and 24 ft. wide from the Allen Range, crossing the prison road near the entrance to the prison property and continuing on through the prison farm across to the Seddon Range. Fences are down in this area and the whole paddock has been rendered useless as far as grazing is concerned. The garden this year was not the success that it has usually been, due mainly to the continued wet weather, which caused the seeds to rot in the ground. Throughout the year the institutional requirements of potatoes, vegetables, milk, meat, and firewood were supplied from the farm. Ministers of the various religious denominations and laymen attended the prison throughout the year and conducted services for the inmates. The St. Vincent de Paul and Brethren supplied clothing to prisoners on release. In conclusion, I wish to thank the staff for the loyal co-operation they have given me throughout the year. Arohata Borstal Institution (Superintendent: Miss B. L. Trevor) At the beginning of the year 23 Borstal inmates were in custody ; 27 were received, 24 released on licence, 2 completed their sentences, 1 transferred to Porirua Mental Hospital, 4 transferred to prison, and one absconder not apprehended, leaving 19 at the end of the year. Twenty-one were listed as sick, 3of these being maternity cases and 4 admitted to public hospital. The remainder were sick for periods ranging to thirty days, an outbreak of mumps and chicken-pox being responsible for many of these. Only 4 girls required treatment for venereal disease, all of these being Borstal inmates. In the reformative detention section 4 women were in custody at the commencement of the year; 18 were admitted, 4 being released on expiration, 2 were debtors, and 16 either handed to the police or transferred to prison. New admissions continue to present poor physical condition—dull-eyed, requiring dental attention, and without the fresh complexions and alert manner which should be present in youth. Regular hours, combined with a wholesome, well-balanced diet, soon improve the girls, all of whom increase in weight, besides regaining vitality and a healthy appearance. Dr. D. Brown, Sister Christian, and Mr. W. P. Sommerville have given every assistance in their various capacities. Several inmates have been mentally examined, 1 being committed. While not proving certifiable, others are subnormal and a definite problem, both in the institution and when release and future welfare are considered. This type has little or no moral sense, being without a normal appreciation of ordinary social obligations. These girls do not look on their detention as a chance to improve or be taught anything which may be of use later in life ; rather do they regard the period as time during which they are restrained from having a good time — something to be endured, but not used constructively for their own benefit. The

20