§ 102. Mr. M. JONESasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been directed to the Report of the Prison System Inquiry Committee recently published; and whether, seeing that, as stated in that Report, during 1920–21 no less than 54.4 per cent. of the male prisoners and 73.3 per cent. of the women prisoners had been previously sentenced at least five times, that 19.7 per cent. had been sentenced at least six times, that 12.73 per cent. had been sentenced at least 11 times, and that 2.61 per cent. had been sentenced at least 21 times, he will consider the introduction of some change in the prison system?
§ Sir J. BAIRDThere is nothing novel in the figures to which attention is drawn, and the fact of recidivism has, I have no doubt, been constantly present in the mind of everyone concerned in prison administration. I see no reason to suppose that any change in the prison system would prevent some of the offenders who have been imprisoned once incurring the same punishment again or even many times again.