Papua-New Guinea

Calaboose Becomes

"Corrective Institution”

Prison Reform in

Papua-New Guinea

T seems that in future, District . Commissions in Papua-New Guinea will have to do without le services of labour from the local fiaboose for a little light road work r weeding in the garden. Nor will le prisoner, any longer, have a lance to “ sit down nothing”—he ill be receiving training that will t him to become a useful member f society.

What is more, the calaboose will mceforth be known as a Corrective istitution.

This development, announced re ntly from Canberra, is the result (a), an inspection of the existing ■ison system in the Territory by ie Minister for Territories (Mr. asluck) ; (b) an examination of s recommendations by officers of e P-NG Administration: and (c), report by Mr. W. Rutherford, mtroller-General of Prisons in leensland, who was co-opted to omote the Minister’s recommenda ms.

The main object in establishing e corrective institutions is sound ough. In Mr. Hasluck’s words, ustody of prisoners is to be re dded not only as a measure of itraint but as an opportunity for :ing reformative and educational asures.” t is proposed that in the insti ions inmates will receive train : in useful occupations and educa n in hygiene, standards of living, I the English language. ■lr. Hasluck admits that there are iculties inherent in the plan, but it it is a lost opportunity if anyleaves a prison without “a ter understanding of our aims for dancing their welfare, and, as a a better spirit towards J 1 this seems a far cry from the >py days when a carefree minority Pacific Islanders looked upon the il jail as a source of good, regular i” and interesting company, ny stories have been told of the int ways of Pacific Islanders in grip of the law, and presum- V some of this flavour will vanish h the establishment of “corrective ;itutions.” here are 443 persons in the Terri- T serving sentences of more than months, a figure “remarkably the Minister thinks, for a total genous population of over U ion. [r. Rutherford points out that nature of offences differs from mainland of Australia. In the

Territory there is virtually no com munity of confirmed criminals (an interesting slant on civilisation') as a very high proportion of natives committed to prison are offenders through tribal custom or ignoranrp of European law.

A Controller of Corrective Insti tutions will be appointed—applicants to come from within the P-NG Service (a most unusual course) ■ and a Corrective Institutions Branch (of Civil Affairs Dept.) will be created.

Police Training Scheme

The establishment of a new training scheme to promote a nucleus of Sub-Inspectors in the Papua-New Guinea Police Force has been announced.

Applicants must be single men between 21 and 28. Those chosen will receive 3 months training at a State Police School, an induction course of 3 weeks at the Australian School of Pacific Administration, Sydney, and, after arrival in the Territory, a further period of 11 months training at Police Head quarters.

On successful completion of the examination at the end of the course, the cadets will be advanced to the rank of Sub-Inspectors. t Copies of the latest edition of the Fiji Annual Report have reached Fiji from London and this small but comprehensive handbook on the Colony is available from the Gov ernment Press, Suva, at 4/6 a copy.