CHAPTER XIV.
"PATRONAGE" OR AID TO DISCHARGED PRISONERS: ITS EFFECT ON RECIDIVISM.
As prisoners in this country are classified broadly into two categories (1) those sentenced to penal servitude--"Convicts:" (2) those sentenced to ordinary imprisonment--"Local," or short-sentenced prisoners,--so has the system of aid-on-discharge varied according to the category to which a prisoner belongs. For Convict Prisons there has been, until lately, no system of aid-on-discharge strictly so-called. What is known as the Gratuity system in Convict Prisons operated for many years as the principal means for providing a convict on his discharge with means of obtaining the necessities of life. There was no Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society immediately connected with the establishment from which the convict was discharged, as in the case of Local Prisons, but certain Metropolitan Societies, notably the Royal Society for the assistance of Discharged Prisoners, and later the St. Giles's Christian Mission and the Church Army and Salvation Army, came to be recognized as the agents for helping a convict on discharge. There was no Government Grant. It was voluntary on the part of the convict whether he should place himself in the hands of such a Society. If he so desired, the Gratuity that he had earned would be paid to him through the Police or otherwise at the place whither he went on discharge. A Gratuity, as already described, was a sum of money which could be earned under the Progressive Stage System for general industry with good conduct: it had no relation to the value of work done, being based simply on the degree of industry, and apportioned to what is known as the Mark System _i.e._, so many marks representing so much cash. The English Gratuity System was, therefore, quite different from what is known on the Continent as the "_Cantine_" or "_Pécule_" System, under which a prisoner receives a percentage of the actual profit of his work, and which he is allowed to spend on diet or otherwise during detention. An English convict (unless in the Long Sentence Division or under Preventive Detention) was not allowed to spend any part of his Gratuity while in Prison, but it was accumulated as a small cash fund to provide against the day of discharge. £6 was the maximum that could be earned, but the average amount earned would be considerably less than this. In old days it was possible for convicts to earn large sums of money, but the practice was condemned by a Royal Commission in the middle of last century, and, since that date, the amount earnable has been limited as stated.
With regard to Local Prisons, from the earliest times it was not uncommon for persons to leave bequests for the relief of prisoners on discharge from Prison, some of these dating as far back as the 15th century. The first legal enactment took place in 1792, by which Judges and Justices were authorized to order any prisoner on discharge to be conveyed by pass to his own parish. About this time, Societies began to be established for the relief of prisoners on discharge. One of the earliest--the Sheriff's Fund Society (which exists at the present time), was founded in 1807-8 for the relief of necessitous prisoners discharged from Newgate Gaol. Another Institution, known as the "Temporary Refuge for Distressed Criminals" discharged from the London Gaols, owed its origin to the efforts of the Society for the Improvement of Penal Discipline. It was commenced in 1818, but was soon after closed for want of funds.
In 1823 an Act of Parliament was passed giving power to Justices to direct that such moderate sum should be given to any discharged prisoner, not having the means of returning to his family, or resorting to any place of employment, as in their judgment should be requisite, such sums to be paid either out of benefactions or as Prison expenses.
Soon after this time, numerous Societies came into existence. One of the most notable experiments of this kind was the Birmingham Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. A report issued at this time by the Chaplain of the Prison, the Rev. J.T. Burt, stated that the Society took its rise in the conviction of its founders that crime is to a considerable extent the result of external circumstances. The Society employed an agent to canvas employers for work, and found lodgings in the homes of poor persons of respectable character for the discharged prisoner. In special cases it gave guarantee to the employer against special loss in the event of his sustaining injury through the person recommended to him. The whole plan was reported to work successfully.
A prisoners' relief Society was formed in connection with Worcester Prison in 1840. Its rules provided, as an inducement to employers of ex-prisoners, for the grant of a weekly sum of money. This allowance might continue for three months, being subject to withdrawal in unworthy cases. For prisoners who could not get work, an allowance not exceeding four shillings a week might be paid for a period not exceeding one month.
Another early experiment was the "Gloucester Refuge for Discharged Prisoners" commenced in 1856. Prisoners on discharge from the County Gaol were, on the recommendation of a Visiting Justice or the Chaplain, maintained free of charge for a fortnight, after which a small charge was made. On employment being found they handed over the whole of their earnings, any balance remaining being handed to them on leaving the Institution. The stay of unemployed inmates was limited to fourteen days, and in no case exceeded one month.
Another phase of relief to discharged prisoners took the form of an "Industrial Home" at Wakefield, founded in 1856, under the auspices of the Governor of the House of Correction for the West Riding. It was said to be self-supporting, manufactures being carried on. Lodgings were found for inmates outside the Home.
These three experiments are said to have compared favourably as regards expenditure with those having the same object in view, which had been established in London, and known as the London Reformatory, the Preventive and Reformatory Institution, and the Metropolitan Industrial Reformatory at Brixton.
About this time, Societies for aiding ordinary prisoners on discharge were formed at many of the larger Prisons, _e.g._, the Hull, East Riding, and North Lincolnshire; Glamorganshire; North and South Stafford; Leeds; West Kent; Manchester; Liverpool; and the Metropolitan Aid Societies, all of which are in existence at the present time.
The success of the Birmingham experiment is said to have led to the passing of the Act of 1862, which recited that Aid Societies had been established by voluntary effort, and gave power to Justices to pay a sum not exceeding £2 to such Societies, to be expended on behalf of the discharged prisoner.
Another Act was passed in 1865 which re-enacted a similar provision to that contained in the Act of 1862, the expense to be borne by the local rates. Under the Prison Act of 1877, it was laid down that "where any prisoner is discharged from prison, the Prison Commissioners may, on the recommendation of the Visiting Committee or otherwise, order a sum of money not exceeding £2 to be paid by the Gaoler to the prisoner himself, or to the Treasurer of a Certified Prisoners' Aid Society or Refuge, on the Gaoler receiving from such Society an undertaking to apply the same for the benefit of the prisoner."
This being the law, two general observations may, I think, be made with regard to it (1) that the duty of aiding prisoners on discharge has been recognized from the beginning of the century as a public duty to be borne by public funds, the Voluntary Aid Society being ancillary for this purpose, _i.e._, to assist in the disbursement of public money, and _incidentally_, at least, in the first instance, to increase it by private benefaction (2) that in its origin this grant was a charitable gift, irrespective of the prison history and conduct of a prisoner, and the total sum expended might assume large proportions, the maximum of £2 being permissible for _any_ prisoner.
As a matter of fact, the local authority used this power very sparingly. A Return is given in Appendix 19 of the Second Annual Report of the Commissioners, and shows that the total discharges for the three years preceding 1878 were, roundly, 370,000, and the total gratuities paid to prisoners, roundly, £11,000, or a proportion of about 7d., per head, the sums given varying greatly in the different districts, _e.g._, Cold Bath Fields Prison gave £3,000 and Manchester £60 for a nearly similar number of discharges (circ. 30,000). In some Prisons, there was a system of giving a percentage on the value of work done, but this did not prevail to a large extent, and the above statement may, I think, be taken as roughly representing the extent to which monetary help was forthcoming to discharged prisoners before the prisons passed into the hands of the Government.
At this point, as was to be expected, when every other Department of Prison administration was undergoing revision and reconstruction, the question of devising a system of aid-on-discharge received a large share of notice. As before stated, the law of 1877 gave the power to grant £2 to any prisoner. There was, therefore, no legal difficulty in the way of continuing the same method that had previously prevailed, _viz_:--in deserving cases of granting a sum of money on the recommendation of the Visiting Committee, or otherwise. This comparatively simple method was not resorted to, and apparently because it seemed to the authorities to be too capricious in its operation, to work unevenly, and to lack that precision and uniformity which it was the object to establish. Moreover, as stated, it had no relation to the conduct and industry of a prisoner, and it was only natural that the Commissioners should be predisposed in favour of the system of gratuities under the Progressive Stage System, at that time working with success in Convict Prisons, and where the money that a prisoner could earn by industry with good conduct was also a gratuity or benefaction which, under proper direction, might be used for his benefit on discharge. In their Second Annual Report, the Commissioners stated "There is no reason why such a system of awarding gratuity for industry should not be worked in conjunction with that of aiding prisoners with reference solely to their needs on discharge. As respects the grants of aid, it is, in our opinion, essentially necessary to success that the co-operation of persons unconnected with the prisons should be secured in order that _by their aid_ and interest, prisoners may be provided with employment." Here we have, therefore, a distinct departure, the so-called 'gratuity' of the convict system taking the place of the former grant in aid in Local Prisons; or, in other words, one of the methods for securing Prison industry and conduct being utilised for the additional purpose of supplying the needs of a prisoner on discharge. It is, I think, obvious that such a scheme--though it worked well in regard to convicts where the maximum gratuity might reach £6--is not applicable to Local Prisons where the maximum is fixed at ten shillings, and where few prisoners reach their maximum, or even a considerable portion of it, owing to the shortness of their sentences. However, the attempt was made, and a sum of £5,000 taken in the Estimates under the heading of "Gratuities"--an equivocal term, meaning both the earnings of prisoners under the Progressive Stage System and also the charitable donation, which was to benefit the prisoner on discharge. It soon became apparent that the effect of this policy would be to starve existing Aid Societies and to paralyze their powers of good. Strong representations were made to the then Secretary of State that it had become impossible to help short sentence cases--often the most deserving and including most of the first offenders--and in December, 1878, a Conference of Aid Societies was held to "protest against the failure of the Stage or Mark System for the purpose of aid on discharge," and a resolution was passed asking the Government to make a grant in addition to the gratuities under the Stage System at the rate of one shilling a head of total discharges. In consequence of this, the Home Office decided that the Stage System should be considered as a matter of discipline, but that assistance to Discharged Prisoners' Aid Societies should be on a different footing: and that it was reasonable, and in accordance with public opinion, to make a grant either according to the number of cells or the number of discharges _provided a certain proportionate amount is voluntarily subscribed_. Here are contained two important assertions of principle on which has been based the action of the Government since this date.
(1) that it is the duty of the Government to make a charitable donation in aid of discharged prisoners in addition to the gratuities under the Stage System, which are an affair of prison discipline.
(2) that the sum should be regulated by the amount of private subscriptions, provided that a maximum calculated on the total number of discharges is not exceeded.
In short, the State goes into partnership with bodies of charitable and benevolent persons, duly certified under the Act, in order to secure a double object (_a_) the State object, that steps shall be taken at least to lessen the chances of a man's relapse into crime (_b_) the private and charitable object of relieving misfortune and distress.
After some correspondence, the Treasury agreed to the principle, and in addition to the money already taken for gratuities in Local Prisons (£5,000), an ultimate limit of £4,000 was sanctioned for this purpose, and its expenditure was regulated by the following conditions:--
(1) that there should be assigned to each prison the proportion of this sum which its average number of prisoners or of discharges bore to the total number of the same.
(2) that there should be a Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society in connection with the Prison, and that voluntary subscriptions should be at least an equal amount.
(3) that the Society, if required, take charge of the sums earned under the mark system.
(4) that the grant should be exclusively for the benefit of prisoners recommended by the Prison authorities as industrious and fairly conducted.
(5) that the grant shall not in any case exceed £2, inclusive of the sum earned under the Stage System.
The System, however, did not work satisfactorily; and the Departmental Committee on Prisons of 1894, after considering the matter, reported that it did not appear that there was either uniformity of action under definite principles, or that the various Societies were so far organized as a whole that the effect of aid could be satisfactorily ascertained. There seemed to be a great and unnecessary variation in the methods of working. They advised that a special inquiry should be undertaken into the character, and working, and methods, of each Society, and were in favour of an increase in the Government Grant where it was shown that Societies were working on principles approved by the Government, and with success. Such an inquiry was undertaken by the Commissioners in 1896, and, at the end of the following year, a Circular was issued by them prescribing Rules for the future regulation of all Aid Societies.
In suggesting these Rules, the Commissioners made it clear that it was not their desire or intention to coerce or interfere with the free liberty of action of Societies which were of course only subject to official control so far as they might draw a subsidy from public funds. They pointed out that "the central authority has opportunities not possessed by individual societies of collating information as to the methods and working of all Societies; and upon the knowledge thus obtained, of forming an opinion as to what are, on the whole, the methods most likely to succeed in attaining the objects which the Societies and the Government have in view: that uniformity of procedure does not necessarily connote official control. As there has been in the past, so there must be in the future, official control to this extent, _viz_:--that it is the duty of the Government to satisfy itself in all cases where there is a grant, however small, from public funds, that the grant is expended in a proper and effectual way on the object for which it is designed: that the Commissioners are, on the one hand, the trustees for the Government grant, and, on the other, the responsible authorities for carrying out the sentences of the law, and, though their strict duty ends when the prisoner has purged his crime, and left the prison gate, common humanity demands that some care shall be bestowed by the State on the discharged prisoner, both in order to relieve his immediate necessities, and to make his re-entry into honest life possible and less difficult: that it is in the fulfilment of this latter duty that they have in the past been able to avail themselves of the assistance, warmly proffered and gratefully accepted, and in very many cases zealously and effectually rendered, of certified Societies for the Aid of Discharged Prisoners: that these Societies now form a network of charitable and philanthropic effort spread throughout the country and working in connection with each prison: that their work, though due to private initiation, and mainly supported by private subscriptions, has nevertheless such public importance and value, that it is becoming more the duty and concern of the Government, not indeed to fetter and harass their free and independent action by the imposition of binding official rules and regulations, but to encourage and stimulate their efforts, to offer direction and guidance, and it is in this spirit, and not with any desire to override or control the free play of benevolent action, that the Commissioners desire to suggest, for the guidance of each Society, the methods which they believe to be the most effectual."
The Scheme was as follows:--
(1) That the Governor and Chaplain should, in all cases, be members of the Committee, and should act with, or as, a Sub-Committee under the larger body, for the purpose of dealing with small cases, and those under short sentences.
(2) That the Visiting Committee should, if possible, in all cases be members of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, and take an active share in its management, _especially in cases where they are also Trustees of the Prison Charity_.
(3) That a Sub-Committee of ladies be appointed for the assistance of female prisoners, and that they act under instructions prescribed for them by the Commissioners.
(4) That for both male and female prisoners, Agents should be appointed in all cases.
(5) That the Society should establish relations with any Labour Homes or Institutions for men and women that may exist in the county or district, and shall arrange for the charge of cases by payment of a capitation grant.
(6) That the Society should appoint corresponding members or committees, _e.g._, Clergymen, Police Officers, private individuals (male and female) in districts remote from the Prison with the object of (_a_) paying gratuities; (_b_) following up a case; (_c_) securing care and superintendence in a deserving case; (_d_) furnishing information with a view to employment.
(7) That the Society should take charge of _all_ gratuities and arrange for their disbursement in a manner most advantageous to the prisoner, and calculated to prevent the immediate and useless dissipation of the money. Payments of cash in lump sums should, as far as possible, be avoided, and receipts for all cases should be taken for the aid which has been given. Payments by instalments and through the agencies described in (6) will be preferred, and when necessary, payments in kind by the purchase of clothes or materials, according to the needs of each case.
(8) That the Society should allow other benevolent societies or persons desirous of assisting discharged prisoners to make arrangements for so doing, subject to its approval and control.
(9) That the Societies should co-operate with each other by mutual arrangement, in taking charge of cases coming from districts other than their own; especially of the juveniles whose sentences are in excess of one month and who are transferred to collecting or district prisons, and who thus by being moved out of their own localities might suffer by being deprived of local interest in their case.
It will be seen that these Regulations did not fundamentally alter the principles according to which the aid to discharged prisoners had hitherto been regulated. Gratuity remained part of the system: there was no proposal to increase the Government Grant, and the new Regulations applied only to prisoners discharged from Local Prisons. The object in view was mainly to secure greater uniformity in method, and otherwise to secure the co-operation of any outside agencies, persons, or Institutions which might be able to give assistance in the districts where the prisoners were discharged.
No further action was taken in the way of improving or altering the system of aid-on-discharge in either Convict or Local Prisons till some ten years later, when a very important step was taken, completely changing the system of the former, and largely modifying that of the latter. The Commissioners informed the Secretary of State in 1909 that, after full consideration, they had come to the opinion that the task of rehabilitation in the case of a man on discharge from a sentence of Penal Servitude was too difficult and too costly to be left entirely to voluntary Societies unaided by any grant of public funds, and working independently of each other, at a problem where unity of method and direction are above all things required. Mr. Secretary Churchill, to whom these views were represented, at once agreed that a new Agency should be established for the aid of discharged convicts, and announced his decision in the House of Commons in July, 1910. The new Association has accordingly been formed, and is called, "The Central Association for the Aid of Discharged Convicts." It combines, for the common purpose of aiding prisoners on discharge from penal servitude, all those Societies which had hitherto been operating independently at Prisons. This new Association is subsidized by the Government, and is not dependent on voluntary contributions. At the same time, the Gratuity System has been discontinued, and the Association undertakes to provide in the case of every discharged convict, so that he may not be without the necessaries of life, and a fair prospect of rehabilitation on the day of discharge. The Association, which is under the capable management of Sir Wemyss Grant-Wilson at 15, Buckingham Street, W.C., established a procedure by which every convict is interviewed at a reasonable period before discharge. At this visit, his wishes and circumstances are ascertained, and if he desires to place himself under the care of any of the Societies represented on the Association, arrangements are made accordingly.
The Association is governed by a General Council, of which the Secretary of State is President, and on which the Societies and Institutions hitherto operating in this particular field of charity are represented.
While these great changes were proceeding in the Convict System, I was endeavouring also by conference with representatives of Discharged Prisoners' Aid Societies of Local Prisons to obtain their agreement to certain changes in the system of aid for Local prisoners, having been led by experience to the opinion that a greater efficiency might perhaps be attained in dealing with prisoners discharged from Local Prisons under a different system. I submitted certain propositions, the object of which was, within the limit of existing financial resources (public and private), by an alteration of the financial arrangements, to increase the powers and duties of Aid Societies, subject to a sufficient control of public funds on the part of the Commissioners.
This could only be made possible by discontinuing the practice of allowing certain prisoners to earn gratuities _as a matter of right_ by good conduct and industry in prison. Long experience had led the Commissioners to the opinion that the Gratuity System in Local Prisons was not a success. It was originally borrowed from the Penal Servitude System at the time when Local Prisons were centralized at Whitehall, and was generally accepted as a sufficient discharge of the power conferred on Justices of the Peace under Section 42 of the Prison Act, 1865, for making provision for the benefit of discharged prisoners, but it was ineffective, as a means of charity, because such a relatively small percentage of prisoners (_i.e._, only those whose sentences were over one month) would profit by it, and, secondly, as a means of discipline in securing the good conduct of the prisoners by the hope of earning a small sum on discharge, it could now be dispensed with, as the power to earn remission, conferred by the Prison Act, 1898, constituted, in the opinion of the Prison Authorities, a sufficient inducement to abstain from acts by which this highly-prized privilege could be lost. It was therefore desirable that the benefits conferred on prisoners by the Gratuity System should be secured to them in some other way. The State was paying in Gratuities at that time about £8,000 a year, and between £3,000 and £4,000 by way of grants to Aid Societies, under the scheme approved in 1897. To this total of about £11,000 a year the Aid Societies were contributing, roughly, about £10,000 a year. My proposals were (1) to abolish all gratuities: (2) to raise the Government grant from 6_d._ to 1_s._ per head: (3) to place this money at the disposition of the Aid Societies, at a rate corresponding to the number of prisoners discharged from each prison, subject to certain conditions, the principal of which were that every Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society should: (_a_) be duly registered with a certificate of the Commissioners that it is properly and efficiently organized: (_b_) that the increased Government grant should be met by a local annual subscription equal to one-half of the amount: (_c_) that the money hitherto spent on Gratuities should be handed over to the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, no Society to receive less in grant than the annual average amount of gratuity earned at the prison during the last triennial term.
The effect of these proposals, which were finally approved by the Secretary of State and the Treasury, at the beginning of 1913, was obviously to increase very materially the amount which each Society receives from public funds. The intention is that every case, _irrespective of length of sentence_, shall receive the _personal_ attention of the Aid Society attached to the Prison, whose resources are considerably increased under the present plan. The Government having great confidence in the earnest purpose of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Societies throughout the country, felt justified in asking them to undertake this greater responsibility. In giving effect to these proposals it was pointed out to the Aid Societies that it could only be undertaken, with any prospect of success, and even with fairness to the prisoner (especially if under a long sentence, and henceforth to be deprived of his Gratuity), subject to the following conditions--
1. The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Committee. The Committee shall appoint a Sub-Committee whose duty it shall be to meet weekly at the Prison, and to make provision for assisting prisoners due for discharge in the ensuing month or fortnight. The Sub-Committee shall consist of at least one member of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, to be selected by roster or otherwise, in addition to the official Prison Authorities. The Governor, Chaplain, Priest, and Minister of the Prison shall be _ex-officio_ members of the Committee and of the Sub-Committee. Lady Visitors shall also be members of both.
2. Where the amount of work to be done is sufficient, the Society shall appoint an agent or agents to act under their direction generally, and in particular:--
(_a_) to find employment for discharged prisoners.
(_b_) to find respectable lodgings or Homes in which discharged prisoners may be placed and maintained in suitable cases.
(_c_) to visit, encourage, and report on the progress of all persons under the care of the Society.
(_d_) to accompany prisoners to the railway station and see them off, if required.
3. The Society shall keep a record of its dealings with all discharged prisoners, and shall publish an Annual Report, with statements of results and of Accounts in an approved form. The accounts shall be audited by a Chartered Accountant. Three copies of such report shall be forwarded to the Commissioners not later than the 14th of April in every year.
4. The payments and grants received from the Commissioners shall be expended for the benefit of prisoners, and shall not be invested.
5. The Society shall render assistance to all deserving cases on discharge, irrespective of length of sentence, all prisoners being deemed to be eligible for assistance provided that they are, in other respects, worthy of the consideration of the Society, special attention being paid to the longer sentenced prisoners who formerly earned gratuity.
6. The Society shall co-operate with the Borstal Committees in giving special attention to the assistance on discharge of persons treated under the "Modified" Borstal System.
The new scheme is working satisfactorily, and there are signs everywhere that the result has been to encourage and stimulate the action of the Societies by throwing a great and new responsibility upon them, and by placing in their hands a considerable sum of public money, to be spent according to their discretion and not according to a fixed and mechanical rule, as was formerly the case under the Gratuity system. There is every reason to hope that the system of aid-on-discharge, both in Convict and Local prisons, is now placed on a sound and effective basis, and that through its operation, many cases will be saved from a relapse into criminal ways, owing to the personal care and individual attention which the new system postulates as a condition of efficiency. During 1918, 21,388 convicted prisoners were discharged, of whom 7,719, or 36 per cent., were aided, and of these latter, 75 per cent. were suitably placed in good employment. Twenty-eight Aid Societies were able to find employment for over 50 per cent. of the cases aided by them.
The new system in each case, both for Local and Convict Prisons, furnishes a remarkable example in the application of what may be called the new spirit in the Prison Administration of this country, _i.e._, the cordial and harmonious co-operation between official and voluntary effort, which experience shows every day to be not only the best, but the only effective method for dealing with the problem of the discharged prisoner.
An important change has recently been made in the machinery of the Central Organization of Aid Societies. Prior to 1917, the central representation of Aid Societies had been by means of a Committee of the Reformatory and Refuge Union, known as the Central Committee of Discharged Prisoners' Aid Societies. The Reformatory and Refuge Union had, in the early 'sixties, warmly taken up the question of aid-on-discharge, and, by its energy and initiative, had become the principal instrument for the organization of Societies dealing with short-sentenced prisoners. In 1878, soon after the passing of the Prison Act, an important conference of Aid Societies was convened by the Union, at which a Committee was appointed having generally for its purpose to extend the operations of Aid Societies, as well as to maintain existing Societies and to increase their efficiency. This historical connection with the Reformatory and Refuge Union remained till the present time, and of late years, the Central Committee, under the able direction of its Chairman, Lord Shuttleworth, has rendered valuable service in calling attention to various reforms by means of conferences invoked, from time to time, in different centres. There had, however, been manifested of late years a growing desire on the part of many Societies for some change in the central organization, which should have the effect of strengthening the Executive function of the Central body, so that its influence might be extended and advantage taken of its large common stock of experience for the investigation of new methods of development. The Chairman of the Royal Aid Society, Mr. F.P. Whitbread, acting in agreement with the representatives of some of the leading Societies, proposed a scheme for the establishment of such a Central Executive body, to meet periodically for discussion, and with power to appoint sub-Committees to enquire, and report, and advise as to the adoption of improved methods of relief for the various categories of prisoners of both sexes. The new body, known as the Central Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, was formally instituted by general consent at the beginning of 1918, Mr. Whitbread being elected Chairman of the Central Executive Committee, and the Commissoners were invited to nominate three members to serve on the Executive. The new system is only a variation of that hitherto pursued; but its effect will be to bring a more direct influence on the various Societies, all of whom will be represented on the Executive. In this way not only uniformity of procedure, but an agreed policy in the pursuit of a common purpose, is likely to result. It is only the complement and the fulfilment of the public-spirited and beneficent work undertaken in the beginning by the Reformatory and Refuge Union, acting through the Committee of 1878, and to that body must be given the credit not only for pioneer work in originating the system of aid-on discharge in this country, but for the growth of public interest and zeal in the development of this particular branch of social work, to which the recent change of methods bears witness.
During recent years, the work of Aid Societies has been extended to the assistance of the wives and families of men undergoing imprisonment, and the steps taken will insure that, in future, no deserving case will be overlooked, and the suffering that has been endured by hundreds of innocent women and children will become a thing of the past. Various agencies have rendered assistance in making the necessary inquiries, chief among them being the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Church Army, and the Charity Organization Society.
Owing to the War, no general effect has yet been given to the powers taken by Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914, to subsidise a society for the care and control of persons under the age of 21, being either on Probation, or placed out on licence from a Borstal Institution or Reformatory or Industrial School, or under supervision within the meaning of Section 1 (3) of the same Act (vide page 82). As President of the newly-constituted Central Committee of Discharged Prisoners' Aid Societies, I recently took the opportunity of appealing for the establishment of a National Society for the Prevention of Crime and for the Protection of the Young Offender. All these categories of young persons named are now being attended to by different Agencies or persons, the same agent often acting for different classes, though not under the same authority. Such a National Society, though not interfering with liberty of action of each, would co-ordinate the whole, and such exchange of voluntary service might be of the greatest benefit, and would provide the rallying point for all forces, both secular and religious, now occupied in the task of rehabilitating those who have fallen under the ban of the criminal law.
So far, I have dealt only with "Patronage," as applied to Convict and Local Prisons. There are two other categories of prisoners who are dealt with on discharge in a different way, _i.e._, those discharged under the Prevention of Crime Act, 1908 (_a_) from Borstal Institutions (referred to in a former chapter): (_b_) from Preventive Detention.
The Gratuity System still remains in force for both these classes, its object being, in the former case, that the inmate should have a small _pécule_ at his disposition, which, taken in conjunction with such assistance as the Borstal Association are able to give, may furnish material help towards his reinstatement; and, in the latter, where a prisoner may be awarded 1d., 2d., or 3d., for every working day according to the nature of work, and skill, and industry displayed. The money thus gained may be spent, either in purchasing certain articles in the canteen, or be sent to a member of his family: if accumulated, it would, in the event of conditional licence, be paid over on the prisoner's behalf to the authorities of the Central Association to be expended in such way as they may think fit for his benefit.
The Gratuity System also remains in force for those young prisoners who are treated under the "Modified" Borstal System in Local Prisons, as before explained, the object being not only to provide a stimulus for labour and good conduct, but to furnish means for material aid on discharge in cases considered by the Borstal Committee operating at each Prison, for the purpose of the reinstatement of these lads in honest industry. Moreover, they are not entitled to earn remission in the same way as are other prisoners under the provisions of the Prison Act, 1898. It is because ordinary prisoners have enjoyed this privilege since 1898 that it was found possible to abolish the Gratuity System for them, the necessary stimulus for industry with good conduct being provided for by the hope of remission of sentence, which experience shows to be more effective for the purposes of discipline than the fear of losing any portion of the money to which they may have become entitled under the Progressive Stage System.
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For many years prior to the War, statistics of recidivism had indicated, at least so far as serious crime tried on indictment was concerned, that the mass of criminality was being confined to one set of people, who were slowly passing to the later age categories, and leaving a reduced number to take their place. The Tables printed below show the remarkable decline in recidivism that has taken place, especially since the War. A large proportion of this decrease may doubtless be credited to the extraordinary growth of "Patronage", or aid-on-discharge, which has taken place during the last quarter of a century. For many years past, the Borstal Association has been successful in reclaiming over 70 per cent. of the lads, 16-21, released to its care; and among hardened convicts, the Central Association is able to furnish remarkable figures. In their report for 1914-15 they showed that since its foundation in 1911 the following numbers of discharged convicts had passed through its hands each year:--1,147, 878, 761, and 792. Of this body, the numbers still out of prison on the 1st April, 1915 were 527, 474, 449, and 662 respectively. Of those discharged during 1914-15 the numbers in the "Star," "Intermediate" and "Recidivist" classes were, respectively, 77, 187, and 528. The number reconvicted in each category was 2, 21, and 107. As we pass, therefore, from the "Star," or First Offender category, the difficulty of successful after-care becomes manifest; thus, while only two First Offenders were reconvicted, the reconvictions in the case of "Intermediates" and "Recidivists" were 11 and 20 per cent. respectively. It is clear, however, from the Annual Report of the Association, that they are far from being dismayed by what must be, in many cases, a hopeless struggle with this resisting mass of recidivism. They look forward, and with good reason, to the hope that lies in the future, _viz_:--that what they describe as "the stage army of recidivist outlaws" will be steadily and permanently reduced in Convict Prisons, not only in consequence of a better system of after-care, which, under new methods, now awaits the convict on his first discharge from penal servitude, but as the certain result of concentration of effort on the young, or adolescent offender. To find work for 366 out of 792 discharged convicts is by itself striking evidence of the vigour, method, and real zeal which characterizes the work of the Association; to be able to report that 662 of these men were known to be satisfactory at the end of the year furnishes proof of a work which must, from the character and antecedents of these cases, be extremely difficult and unpromising, and shows that the men must have been the subject of much careful shepherding.
About ten years have elapsed since the formation of the Central Association, and since that date the actual number of persons convicted on indictment with _six or more_ previous convictions has fallen by 80 per cent. In 1910, there were 1,066 prisoners convicted who had previously served a sentence of penal servitude, while in 1918 there were only 297. A great reduction has also taken place in the number of male convicts classified as Recidivist after reception into prison. Prior to 1911, the number frequently exceeded 900 annually, while in 1918 it was only 191.
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The following tables show (a) the actual fall that has taken place in the numbers sentenced on indictment who had been previously convicted, and (b) the decrease in the number of male convicts classified as recidivist:--
(a)
-----+---------------+----------------------------------- |Total convicted| Number previously convicted | +---------+---------+--------------- Year| on indictment |1-3 times|4-5 times|6 times & over -----+---------------+---------+---------+--------------- 1910| 11,317 | 3,954 | 1,215 | 3,828 1913| 10,165 | 2,459 | 998 | 3,462 1918| 4,694 | 1,153 | 287 | 786 +------------+ Decrease per cent.| since 1900 |59| 71 | 76 | 80 ------------------+--+---------+---------+----------------
(b) Classification of Male Convicts received into Convict Prisons.
----------------------+---------+-------------+-----------+------- Year |Star, or |Intermediate.|Recidivist.|Total. | First | | | |Offender.| | | ----------------------+---------+-------------+-----------+------- Average for five years| | | | ended 1910-11| 99 | 245 | 948 | 1,292 " " 1915-16| 104 | 160 | 579 | 843 For year 1916-17| 18 | 55 | 279 | 352 " " 1917-18| 63 | 49 | 298 | 410 " " 1918-19| 40 | 70 | 191 | 301 Decrease per cent. | | | | since 1910-11| 60 | 71 | 80 | 77 ----------------------+---------+-------------+-----------+-------