§ 29. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the number of juvenile adults who were sent to prison during the year 1918; and how many of those were committed for a period of over one month or under?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe number of prisoners between sixteen and twenty-one years of age received into prison on conviction during the year ended 31st March, 1919, was 3,537 males and 1,429 females. One thousand, three hundred and nine of the males were committed for a period of one month or under. This information is not at present available in the case of the females.
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKHave not the Prison Commissioners often condemned the mischievous character of this system of short sentences and will he introduce legislation or take some steps to put an end to them?
§ Mr. SHORTTThat is their view and they try to enforce it as far as they can.
§ 30. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the number of boys and girls who, having been committed to reformatory and industrial schools, were charged during 1918 with fresh offences, either on absconding from the schools or when placed out on licence?
§ Mr. SHORTTComplete figures are not available, but the police reports of cases of boys and girls charged with offences who are known to be on licence from a reformatory or industrial school show that during 1918 the number was 104 boys and twelve girls.
§ 31. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the number of children and young persons who were brought before the juvenile Courts during 1918; and the number of boys and girls, respectively, between the ages of fourteen and sixteen who were sent to prison, either under sentence, or on remand, or to await removal to other institutions, during this period?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe number of children brought before juvenile Courts during 1918 was 30,211, and of young persons, i.e., between fourteen and sixteen, 19,685. These figures are provisional and may need some correction. For the twelve months ended 31st March, 1919, the number of persons between fourteen and fifteen received into prison either under sentence or on remand or to await removal to other institutions was sixty-one boys and nine girls.