§ Lieut.-Colonel Heneageasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give recent figures for persons committed to Borstal and subsequently released, who have committed fresh offences, showing separately those who have committed offences before their sentences would normally have expired.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI regret that it would not be possible without examining each individual record to give the figures in the exact form asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend. The information available was given by me in reply to a Question by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Warrington (Mr. Goldie) on 28th September, of which I am sending a copy to my hon. and gallant Friend.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Heneageasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give any recent percentages of persons sentenced to Borstal being released before their sentence expires; and if he will consider notifying the chairman of sessions or judge concerned of such releases together with the reasons.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe Prison Commissioners are by law required to consider the release on licence of a person sentenced to Borstal detention as soon as they are satisfied that the training has served its purpose and that a person, if discharged, is likely "to abstain from crime and lead a useful and industrious life." In view of this statutory requirement it is quite exceptional for the full period of a sentence to be served and—as I have explained—the reasons for release before the expiry of the maximum term of detention fixed by the Court's sentence are prescribed by statute. In these circumstances no useful purpose would appear to be served by notifying the courts concerned when a person is released from Borstal detention.