§ Mr. Goldieasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number of young persons have since 31st January, 1939, to the last convenient date, been sentenced by courts of competent jurisdiction to three years' detention in Borstal institutions; what number of such persons so sentenced have been released without completing 15 months of such periods of detention; and what number of such persons so released have subsequently been convicted of offences triable on indictment.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI regret that it is not possible without searching each individual record to give the figures in the exact form asked for by my hon. and learned Friend. During the four years 1940 to 1943 4,654 young men were discharged from Borstal institutions, of whom up to 28th August last 1,614 or 34.6 per cent. had been reconvicted. Of the total discharges 3,879 had served 15 months or less and of these 35 per cent. had been reconvicted, 775 had served over 15 months and of these 34.3 per cent. had been reconvicted. It is satisfactory to find that, notwithstanding the dislocation of the Borstal system caused by the war, the authorities have succeeded during the past434W four years in restoring to honest citizenship more than six out of every ten youths committed to their care, a slightly higher proportion than in the preceding three years. The average period of training has steadily risen, and whereas in 1941 only 13 per cent. of those discharged had served over 15 months, during the last seven months of this year the figure had increase to 39 per cent.