38. Major Whiteleyasked the Home Secretary how many boys of 21 years of age and under were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of six months or less during the first nine months of 1937; to what prisons they were committed; whether any separate prison for young offenders serving short sentences exists; and whether he is satisfied that there is no possibility of contact in prison between young offenders and old criminals?
§ Sir S. HoareThese figures are collected at the end of each year and no figures for 1937 are at present available, but the total number of persons under 21 years of age sentenced to imprisonment in 1936 was 1,446. Young persons sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one month are sent to the local prison serving the court from which they are committed. Those sentenced for more than a month are gathered together at five selected prisons, where better arrangements can be made for their treatment than if they are scattered in small numbers among several prisons; 1322 but, as has been pointed out in a memorandum sent by the Home Office to all courts in September, 1936, conditions in these selected prisons remain prison conditions and, despite precautions to keep the young prisoners apart as far as possible from others, the possibility of contamination through contact with other offenders cannot be altogether eliminated.
§ Mr. ThorneDoes the Home Secretary not think that, in the case of young persons, it would be very much better for the Bench to bind them over for 12 months, which would have the desired effect?
§ Sir S. HoareI agree with the hon. Member that the present position is unsatisfactory. I hope that, if I have the opportunity of introducing legislation on this subject, this is one of the questions that will be dealt with.