New Plymouth Gaol (Press, 29 March 1957)
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Summary: New Plymouth Gaol (Press, 29 March 1957)
On 28 March 1957, the Justice Department of New Zealand announced that plans to convert the New Plymouth prison into a detention centre for youths have been abandoned. This decision was influenced by severe overcrowding in prisons across the country. The initial proposal aimed to establish a facility for young offenders, which would have required vacating the adult inmates currently housed in New Plymouth. However, due to a lack of available accommodation for these adult prisoners, the plan was deemed unfeasible. The detention centre was intended to provide an alternative to the overcrowded Invercargill Borstal, where many young offenders are currently rehabilitated. The proposed facility would have allowed youths to serve a maximum sentence of four months under strict discipline, representing an alternative to either borstal or probation. Unfortunately, the surge in the prison population since discussions began on this initiative has ultimately dictated that New Plymouth must continue to function as an adult prison, rendering the original scheme impractical.
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