SUPERVISION IN IRELAND.

113

We feel altogether with the able writer in Blackwood's Magazine, who says, "If our institutions be not strong enough to maintain a fair stand-up fight with crime, let them be improved; but let the thing called police supervision continue to be so strange, that we have no word in our language which will accurately convey its meaning."

It would appear as if the author of Police Supervision in Ireland, had some misgivings on the score of its efficacy, for notwithstanding all the parade of Irish police watching over prisoners, he did not place all his ticket-of-leave men under their surveillance. All convicts discharged in the city and county of Dublin are placed under the care of the Lecturer of Smithfield and Lusk.

As the public imagine that all Irish convicts, discharged on ticket-of-leave, are placed under the supervision of the police, I give the following from a "Return" just made to the House of Lords, entitled, "Copy of Regulations with regard to the Supervision to be exercised over the Convicts on Ticket-of-leave in Dublin "

:

VOL. II.

I

"1. All convicts discharged on licence, and residing in the city and county of Dublin, are placed under the supervision of the Lecturer of Smithfield and Lusk Intermediate Prisons.

"2. When at large the convicts are visited by the Lecturer frequently; he communicates with the employers, and ascertains how the discharged prisoners conduct themselves."

It is only in exceptional cases that this rule is departed from. Where there is "good ground for suspicion that he [the convict] is infringing the conditions of his licence, the attention of the metropolitan police is drawn, by the Director, to the particular case." The exception here proves

the rule.

CHAPTER IX.

DISCHARGED PRISONERS' AID SOCIETIES.

THE Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, whose office is at 39, Charing Cross, London, was first established in 1857.

The prisoner goes to the office with his discharge, including one of the forms, stating that he is recommended by the governor of the prison which he has left. This paper specifies his registered number in the prison, his date and sentence, age on conviction, religion and education, date and place of conviction, nature of crime, previous convictions, and nature of crimes; character in separate confinements, character on public works,

his

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PRISONERS' AID SOCIETY.

trade and degree of proficiency, capacity for hard labour, the employment desired, the prisoner's willingness to emigrate, amount of gratuity due, probable period of discharge, with any remarks which the governor may think fit to add.

The society disposes of its clients in three ways-first, by obtaining employment for them ; secondly, by enabling them to return to their friends; and thirdly, by assisting them to emigrate.

From the 1st May, 1857, to 1st May, 1862, the society had aided 2571 prisoners. Of this number 644 men, and 46 women were assisted to emigrate; and 121 men, and 69 women had employment obtained for them; while 1504 men, and 187 women were aided in various ways, and many of them assisted in obtaining employ

ment.

The committee assert, on official authority, and after minute and careful examination, that out of 189 cases from Millbank Prison, and 574 from Chatham, entertained by the society, "only

LETTER FROM SIR JOSHUA JEBB. 117

a single licence has been revoked." This speaks volumes in favour of this society, and our only regret is, that its means of doing good are not fourfold, or that it should have been compelled, for want of sufficiently ample funds, to give up its Female Lodging House.

The following letter from Sir Joshua Jebh bears strong testimony to the great value of the Society :

"GENTLEMEN,

"Parliament Street, March, 1862.

"It gives me the greatest satisfaction to state in reply to your inquiry, that the past year furnished additional proof, if that were wanted, not only of the importance of finding employment for discharged prisoners, and caring for their interests, but of the judicious and effective manner in which you have conducted your operations.

"It is useless for either the men or the women to form good resolutions in prison, if they become outcasts on discharge.