The Commissioners note with satisfaction: “(1) the remarkable diminution in the commitment to prison of young persons under 21 years, and (2) the falling rate of re-conviction in the case of younger categories of prisoners." They give two tables, one of which gives the age on conviction and the proportion per cent. which each category bears to the total, and the other gives the falling rate of re-conviction. The first table shows that the convictions of males under 21 was in 1902-3 in the proportion of 116 of the whole, and in 1913-14 it was 6'1. In the cases of females it was 48 in 1902-3, and 25 in 1913. When we take those where the ages are 21-30, we find that the figures have fallen from 267 to 248 for males, and from 25'3 to 18.4. For the more advanced ages, of course, the proportion rises.

The second table shows that the number of males who had one previous conviction was in 1902-3, 32'9, and in 1913-14 it was 24'1; of two previous convictions the proportions were 14'9 and 119. As regards females, the proportion of those who had one previous conviction was in 1902-3, 170, and in 1913-14, it was 14'7. It will be remembered that 136,424 persons were received on conviction during the year. Of these 103,010 were males and 33,414 females. Out of these 64,964 males and 26,341 females had been convicted before, or a percentage of 63°1 and 78.8 respectively. As might be expected, the proportion of persons sentenced to penal servitude who had been previously convicted is a good deal higher, as no less than 87 per cent. had been previously sentenced to imprisonment or penal servitude. On these figures the Commissioners remark: "If these figures can be quoted as showing that a sentence of penal servitude neither deters nor reforms, they also support the inference that grave crimes punished with a sentence of penal servitude are the work of a handful of confirmed recidivists, whose ranks are not being recruited by those without criminal antecedents."

Both the difficulty of dealing with this class and the fact that it is not hopeless is shown by the report of the Central Association for the Aid of Discharged Convicts. This Association was founded in 1911. Its report is given in full in Appendix 17A, and is well worth reading. The Commissioners refer to the work of the Association in some detail and give the following figures: "Since its foundation in 1911 the following numbers have passed through its hands each year, 1,147, 878, and 761. Of this body, the numbers still out of prison on the first of April last were 555, 511, and 553. Of those discharged during the past year, the numbers in the "Star," "Intermediate," and "Recidivist" classes were respectively, 84, 170, and 508. The number re-convicted in each category was 1, 43, and 164. As we pass, therefore, from the "Star" or "First Offender" category, the difficulty of successful after-care becomes manifest; thus, while only one "First Offender" was re-convicted, the re-convictions in the case of "Intermediates" and "Recidivists" 25 and 28 per cent. respectively." The report of the Association points out very clearly the great difficulties released convicts have in getting and keeping honest employment, weakened as they often are in mind and body by a long term of imprisonment. What seems to us a valuable suggestion is made, that, when a man is excused from serving part of his sentence, he ought to be so excused on condition that he will not return to an unpromising neighbourhood. They point out that such a form of licence is already in use for men discharged from preventive detention, and for boys discharged from Borstal Institutions.

While these efforts are being made by the Central Association to deal with what they describe as "the stage army of recidivist outlaws," the intermediate population between the two extremes of the criminal world,

namely, the inmates of local prisons, are not being neglected. The Commissioners state that they have been "at great pains during recent years to strengthen, and, if possible, to improve the formal machinery for after-care in local prisons, i.e., the Discharged Prisoners Aid Society." The new scheme only came into operation on July 1st 1913, and is reported to be working successfully. One important feature of it consists in the abolition of the gratuity system, and an increase of the Government Grant. The funds resulting from these alterations have been placed at the unfettered disposal of the local Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. It is hoped that this extended liberty of action, combined with an improved financial position, will greatly strengthen the Societies in their benevolent work.

A very important attempt was made "to protect the community from the predatory instincts of re-convicted men" by the Prevention of Crime Act 1908. As is well known, the Act enables the Court to pass a sentence of "preventive detention" on an offender, in addition to a sentence of penal servitude, when he has been found by the jury to be an "habitual criminal." The sentence of preventive detention cannot be less than five or more than ten years. The Camp Hill Prison was only opened for this purpose in March 1912. From the Governor's report it appears that, since then, the Advisory Committee have recommended nine cases for release on licence. Three of these have had their licence revoked and have returned. Five seem to be doing well, and one has disappeared. It is worth noting that one of them "had served just two years, and the others considerably less," which shows that, whatever the sentence of the Court may be, the case will receive thorough investigation, and "the man will be recommended for release when he shows satisfactory promise of reform, and suitable work can be found for him." The numbers in custody had increased from 105 to 183. Since

the Act came into force in 1909, 438 persons have been sentenced to preventive detention. The Commissioners pay a tribute to the valuable services of the late Sir Douglas Straight on the sub-committee of the Advisory Committee.

Attention is also called to the Long Sentence Division, which is a new feature of our penal servitude system. It was established in 1905 for selected convicts who had served more than 7 years. "The object of the new rule was to introduce some alleviation into the lives of men who had passed through the stages of penal servitude with industry and good conduct." There have been placed in the Division 270 males and 15 females, or about 80 per cent. of those whose sentence qualified. "Governors of Convict Prisons are unanimously of opinion that the introduction of the system has been a marked success." The Commissioners are now considering whether there could be with advantage a reduction of the qualifying period. Another new classification which deserves attention is that of the "Aged Convict" class. This class consists of some 50 men over sixty-seven years of age who are broken down and physically feeble. They have cells specially fitted up, and special clothes and diet. They are, during the day time, associated in a large room with an adjacent parlour, and expected to do some light work. The experiment has been. successful, and it has not been found that, generally speaking, they abuse their privileges.

Much attention is devoted in this Report to what is probably the most important question of all, namely, how to deal with the youthful portion of the law-breakers so as to cut off the supply of criminals at its source. The first thing is, of course, as far as possible, to keep the young out of prison. The importance of avoiding, if possible, committing young offenders to prison has been urged again and again in these Reports. A very large number of young offenders are every year committed

to prison in default of paying a fine. In the year under consideration, out of 128,686 received on summary conviction, 74,461, or 58 per cent., were received in default of payment of a fine. The Commissioners remark, in par. 27, "If the automatic commitment to prison in default is in many cases unnecessary and harmful, in the case of adult offenders, the evil is of course greater in the case of the young or adolescent offender, 16-21, who, it may be in consequence of some trivial offence — breach of local bye-laws, or otherwise-makes his first acquaintance with the interior of a prison, not because the safe custody of his person is necessary for the public protection, but because he is unable at the time to pay a fine which is often insignificant in amount. Thus, during the past year, no less than 768 lads went to prison in default of paying a fine of 10s. or less. Of 3,820 juvenile-adult prisoners who were sentenced to one month or less, no fewer than 2,254 or 59 per cent. were committed in default of payment of a fine."

It is unnecessary for us to quote condemnation of such results, and suggestions for the improvement of the law made by various prison authorities, as most of the recommendations, and those which have been made by the Commissioners, have been incorporated in the Criminal Justice Administration Act, which became law this year. The Act puts upon the magistrates an obligation in most cases to allow time for the payment of fines, and gives them the power to place the offender under supervision till the fine is paid. It makes provision for further time being allowed when proper, and provides for the recognition and subsidising of what we may call "Protection Societies." These provisions, which had not yet become law when the report was drawn up, meet with the warmest approval of the Commissioners, who remark, "We attach the greatest possible importance to these proposals, which are calculated to be of far-reaching effect, not only in saving thousands of