Of 1,000 offenders liberated on licence :

191 (19.1 per cent.) had never been convicted before committal to a Borstal Institution but were believed to be of criminal tendencies.

809 (80-9 per cent.) had been convicted before committal to a Borstal Institution.

Of the 809 offenders who had been convicted before committal :

246 (30-4 per cent.) had been convicted once.

219 (27.1 per cent.)

143 (17.7 per cent.)

201 (24.8 per cent.)

Of 1,000 offenders liberated on licence :

627 (62-7 per cent.) have, so far as is known, never again been convicted.

373 (37-3 per cent.) are known to have been again convicted.

Of the 627 offenders who, so far as is known, have never again been convicted :

548 (87-4 per cent.) completed their period of supervision without the revocation of their licences.

79 (12.6 per cent.) had their licences revoked during their period of supervision for absconding or other misconduct, but without any conviction in the Courts for a new offence.

Of the 373 offenders who have been convicted since their liberation from Borstal Institutions :

147 (39.4 per cent.) have been convicted once.

A number of these convictions were for quite minor offences, and a certain proportion of the lads convicted are doing well.

These particulars apply to lads liberated on licence from Borstal Institutions from 1912 to 1925. The last licence under review expired in February 1927.

It will be observed that 62.7 per cent. have, so far as we have been able to trace, not been again convicted. It will be noticed also that the proportion of those again convicted, viz. 37.3 per cent., is less than the proportion of those who had been convicted three times or more before they were committed to Borstal Institutions, and it may therefore be safely assumed that they have been well on the way to crime before they were committed.

The girls sentenced to Borstal detention were all sent to the Institution at Greenock. It has been found possible to make the training there more efficient and helpful in every way since all

the inmates have been centred there. A new system of education has been introduced; instruction in domestic economy has been given by teachers from the Education Authority, and various ladies have conducted evening classes in varied recreative handcraft, needlework, &c. The clothing of the inmates has also been remodelled, and on Sundays and in the evenings they wear a dress in no way distinctively institutional, but similar to that which is worn by those at liberty.

FORMER INMATES OF REFORMATORY AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

The Commissioners reported to the Scottish Education Department that 68 cases of 58 different individuals still under 25 years of age who had been in Reformatory Schools had been. received into Scottish Prisons during the year, and 208 cases of 189 different individuals who had been in Industrial Schools. Our experience shows us that the least satisfactory inmates of a Borstal Institution are those who have previously been in Reformatory or Industrial Schools, and who naturally represent the failures of these Schools.

PENAL SERVITUDE AND PREVENTIVE DETENTION.

The number sentenced to penal servitude was 29 males and 1 female. This is the lowest figure on record. Last year there were 42 males and 1 female. None of these 30 were sentenced to Preventive detention.

The number of penal servitude cases now in custody has in consequence fallen to a very low figure. On 31st December, 1927, there were 156 males and 4 females in custody. The average daily number was 166 males and 4 females. The decrease in the number sent to Peterhead Prison has raised difficulty in the matter of carrying on the work in connection with the Harbour of Refuge, notwithstanding the extension of working hours during the spring, summer and autumn, which proved most satisfactory and increased the output of work. With such a small number as at present the cost per head must necessarily be high.

PROBATION OF OFFENDERS.

The Scottish Central Association, which works in close connection with the Prison Commission, has carried on probation work in the Sheriffdoms of the Lothians and Lanarkshire in addition to taking charge of convicts on licence and Borstal inmates liberated on licence. The Commissioners hope that ere long a universal system of probation with paid Probation Officers will be introduced into Scotland, as it has been in England under the Act of 1925.

The Central Association continues to give assistance to convicts discharged from prison,-see Report by the Superintendent of Licence-holders,

LIVES OF PRISONERS.

Except for three years during the Great War the Commissioners have published in their Annual Report since 1896 short accounts of the lives of a number of prisoners received consecutively into one prison during the year. This is again repeated (Appendix LII), the prisoners on this occasion coming from a country district. As marking the genesis of this series of lives, it may be of interest to quote the following paragraph from the Report for 1896:

"It has been observed that what is desired by the country is to know the causes which lead to crimes and offences rather than the particular details of the sentences inflicted on the culprits, and with a view to try and furnish this information, which is very important as bearing on the means to be taken for prevention, we have added an Appendix giving a note of the cases of 39 prisoners received consecutively from a country district. The information is supplied by an experienced Prison Governor, and is as accurate as such statements can be made. A cursory inspection of these short records points undoubtedly to the diminished chance of success in life inherited by the children of parents who indulge to excess in strong drink, and to those who lose a parent in early life. The immediate cause of offence is almost always the drinking habit which, with some well marked exceptions, seems to be closely allied with laziness, and indisposition to work continuously at honest labour.

From these lives, it does not appear that the causes of crime, as related by the prisoners themselves, have varied much during the span of some thirty years. Neglect in childhood, evil example, intemperance, and overcrowding all have their share in causing crime. The loss of one or both parents in early years, and the consequent lack of proper care and control, may also often pave the way for a criminal career. While the statement that the cause of downfall was drink is doubtless true in many cases, one cannot but feel that in a few cases the prisoner finds it convenient to blame drink instead of his own criminal tendencies.

The Commissioners desire to emphasise the fact that these lives are compiled from the prisoners' own statements, and cannot in many cases be regarded as reliable either owing to the prisoner withholding the facts or giving false information or to the passage of time having obscured his impressions of his earlier and perhaps better days.

EDUCATION OF PRISONERS.

Of the 10,817 males and 3,190 females received on conviction into prisons, 483 males and 254 females were quite illiterate, or about 5.2 per cent., a fairly high percentage, but much less than in 1908, when the percentage was 15.5. 10,331 males and 2,936

females could read or write, while only 3 males were of superior education. Instruction is given to the illiterate in all prisons.

CRIMINAL LUNATIC DEPARTMENT.

Admissions during the year were 22 males and 2 females, as compared with 15 males and 2 females in the previous year. Those suitable have been conditionally liberated or transferred to ordinary Lunatic Asylums. The daily average number has been 63 males and 7 females. Satisfactory reports have been received by the General Board of Control on the management of this Department. The general behaviour and conduct of inmates have been as satisfactory as could be expected.

DEATH SENTENCES.

One sentence was passed during the year. The case was under appeal at the end of 1927, but the appeal was subsequently dismissed and the sentence carried out early in 1928.

BEHAVIOUR OF PRISONERS.

The behaviour of the prisoners has remained much the same as in previous years. The number punished was 4.5 per cent.the same figure as last year. There has been no serious misbehaviour in any prison or institution. During the year there were 13 escapes, of whom 11 were inmates of Borstal Institutions. Owing to the free nature of their employment these inmates have much greater opportunities for escape than prisoners. One prisoner escaped from Edinburgh Prison and another from the Dunfermline (Burgh) Legalised Police Cells. Two of the Borstal inmates were still at large at the end of the year.

There were no suicides during the year, although 7 made attempts more or less real.

HEALTH OF PRISONERS.

The health of prisoners has been very good (see Report by the Medical Adviser-Appendix XXVII). Eighty-one cases of insanity were reported as compared with 71 last year; 72 of these were insane before admission to prison-68 were untried and 4 were convicted prisoners; 20 were reported as feeble-minded, and of these 11 were handed over to Inspectors of Poor on discharge. Only one was certified as a mental defective, and he was handed over to the guardianship of his father. The following table shows the numbers dealt with during the past few years :

1927. 1926. 1925. 1924. 1923. 1922. 1921. 1920. 1919. 1918

CRIMINAL APPEAL (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1926.

This Act, which came into force on the last day of October

1926, was in operation throughout the year.

Table No. XXVI of the Appendix gives the numbers of those

who took advantage of the Act. There were 4 appellants at the beginning of the year and 26 additional appealed, making 30 in all; 16 cases were withdrawn or leave to appeal refused; 2 cases were pending at the end of the year; in 3 cases sentence was quashed and another sentence substituted; in 9 conviction or sentence was affirmed. Appellants, after giving notice of appeal, are treated more or less as untried prisoners, and the time so served does not count for sentence unless specially directed by the Court. Rules and instructions were issued by the Commissioners to Governors regarding notification of those entitled to appeal of their rights under the Act, and also regulating their treatment during their time of appeal.

The Act was amended in December 1927, enabling the Secretary of State to refer under the Act cases of persons convicted prior to 31st October 1926.

The Commissioners once more desire to mention the valuable services rendered by ladies and gentlemen in giving lectures, concerts, &c., and also in taking religious classes and Brabazon classes at the various prisons and institutions. Special assistance has been rendered by voluntary workers at the Borstal Institution for girls at Greenock.

As in the previous year, a special Mission was conducted at Edinburgh Prison in November, when clergymen of the various Churches and an officer of the Salvation Army held special services which, the Governor reports, were very highly appreciated by the prisoners.

DISCHARGED PRISONERS' AID SOCIETIES.

These continue to render valuable service. It is recognised that this work is a very difficult one, especially under present conditions in the labour market; but it is exceedingly important that these Societies should maintain their efficiency and be ready to undertake such further duties as may be laid upon them in the way of assisting discharged prisoners to find employment.

HABITUAL CRIMINAL REGISTRY.

The new system introduced in 1926 has been continued. Record cards to the number of 761 were added to the Scottish Criminal Register during 1927. Of this number 693 related to male criminals, 44 to female criminals, and 24 to aliens recommended for deportation under the Aliens Order, 1920.

New cases added to the Register number 408, including the aliens, and in 353 cases cards were added in respect of persons