{"@context":{"@language":"en","AIPUUID":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/terms#identifierAIP","AggregatedSourceRepository":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/dataProvider","AlternateTitle":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/alternative","CatalogueRecord":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isReferencedBy","Collection":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isPartOf","Creator":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/creator","DateAvailable":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued","DateIssued":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued","DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/aggregatedCHO","FileFormat":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/elements\/1.1\/format","FullText":"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2009\/08\/skos-reference\/skos.html#note","Genre":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/hasType","Identifier":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/identifier","IsShownAt":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/isShownAt","Language":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/language","Provider":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/provider","Publisher":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/publisher","Rights":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/rights","SortDate":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/date","Source":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/source","Title":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/title","Type":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/type","Translation":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/description"},"AIPUUID":[{"@value":"524221c1-9e53-4e26-a341-a145ef497653","@language":"en"}],"AggregatedSourceRepository":[{"@value":"CONTENTdm","@language":"en"}],"AlternateTitle":[{"@value":"REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF NEW HAVEN","@language":"en"}],"CatalogueRecord":[{"@value":"http:\/\/resolve.library.ubc.ca\/cgi-bin\/catsearch?bid=1198198","@language":"en"}],"Collection":[{"@value":"Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia","@language":"en"}],"Creator":[{"@value":"British Columbia. Legislative Assembly","@language":"en"}],"DateAvailable":[{"@value":"2017-07-18","@language":"en"}],"DateIssued":[{"@value":"[1956]","@language":"en"}],"DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":[{"@value":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/collections\/bcsessional\/items\/1.0349051\/source.json","@language":"en"}],"FileFormat":[{"@value":"application\/pdf","@language":"en"}],"FullText":[{"@value":" PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA\nDEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL\nReport of the\nDirector of New Haven\nFor the Year Ended December 31st\n1955\nVICTORIA, B.C.\nPrinted by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty\n1956 s To His Honour Frank Mackenzie Ross, C.M.G., M.C.,\nLieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia.\nMay it please Your Honour:\nThe undersigned has the honour to submit the Report of the Director of New Haven\nfor the year ended December 31st, 1955.\nR. W. BONNER,\nA ttorney-General.\nAttorney-General's Department,\nVictoria, B.C., February, 1956. New Haven, South Burnaby, B.C., February 2nd, 1956.\nThe Honourable R. W. Bonner, Q.C.,\nAttorney-General, Province of British Columbia,\nParliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C.\nSir,\u2014In accordance with section 13 of the \"New Haven Act,\" I have the honour\nto submit my annual report, setting forth a record of the work of the institution during\nthe year ended December 31st, 1955.\nI have the honour to be,\nSir,\nYour obedient servant,\nS. ROCKSBOROUGH SMITH,\nDirector. Annual Report of the Director of New Haven\nFor the Year Ended December 31st, 1955\nDuring the course of the year the average daily population was 35.6. Sixty-two were\nreceived and fifty-one were released. Seven were transferred to Oakalla Prison Farm.\nThese figures represent a very slight decrease from those of last year. There were times\nwhen the accommodation of the institution was taxed to the extreme, both in the spring\nand late fall of the year, and there were other times, in the summer, when the daily average\npopulation fell as low as twenty-nine.\nAs in former years, the Classification Committee at Oakalla was responsible for\nselecting the intake for New Haven. While this system is working with greater efficiency\nas increased facilities are placed at the disposal of the Committee, it is to be hoped that\nin time more observations and test results can be recorded while a youth is undergoing\nclassification, and that these will accompany him when he is transferred.\nThe problem of the short sentence is still causing concern. Youths sentenced to less\nthan six months definite invariably find it difficult to settle down to their training. When\nthey learn on arrival that it will take them at least six months to complete their training,\nthey frequently request a transfer back to Oakalla, feeling that they will get out sooner.\nI am firmly of the opinion that effective training cannot be carried out in less than six\nmonths, and that we should be considering lengthening rather than shortening our training programme. The short sentence has long been unsparingly condemned by penologists,\nprison administrators, and informed public opinion alike. It seldom leads to rehabilitation, does not protect society, and has no place in the modern correctional system.\nOwing to expanding probation facilities, many who formerly would have been committed to New Haven are now treated on probation. This has resulted in an increasing\nnumber of more disturbed lads being committed to the institution, and has proved a\nchallenge to the members of the staff. Many of them are not prepared to accept the\nprogramme without considerable interpretation and have to be handled with a great deal\nof patience and understanding. Their period of training must of necessity be longer, for\nin most cases there is much to be broken down before any positive achievement can be\nlooked for.\nStress has continued to be laid on the achievement of a high standard. It is felt\nessential, particularly in the training of young men, many of whom are basically insecure\nand lacking in confidence, to show them that a high standard can be reached with application and persistence. I am pleased to be able to report that not only in the trade-training\nand hobby work has a high standard of excellence been maintained by our lads, but also\nin their conduct, attitude, and in their growing sense of responsibility.\nEvery, effort has been made to foster and maintain this sense of personal responsibility. Senior lads are required to assume some responsibility in the general functioning\nof the institution, either as members of the House Committee or acting as Duty Senior for\nthe day, a duty which is rotated among the seniors. Lads formally apply for their promotion to senior grade, and later on for their release on licence. The onus of proving their\nfitness is placed squarely on their own shoulders, and many a lad has spent an awkward\nhour or so trying to concoct a letter to convince the Board of Parole that he is fit for\nrelease when he has not honestly been able to convince himself.\nIn July I was requested by the Inspector of Gaols to prepare a site and organize a\nsmall forestry camp for \" star class\" prisoners in the southern part of Garibaldi Park,\nJ GG 6 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nsome 12 miles from Haney. The staff and lads of New Haven have put many man hours\ninto this project. A camping party cleared the site in early August, and since that time\nwork parties have been going up, two or three times a week, to work on the site and\nimprove the road leading to it. This project has proved an interesting diversion from the\nnormal institutional routine and provided opportunities for plenty of strenuous physical\nexercise.\nThe closest co-operation has been maintained throughout the year with the British\nColumbia Borstal Association. This remarkable association has once again successfully\nplaced all our lads in employment on their release and undertaken their supervision while\non licence. Members of the association have visited the institution, both singly and in\ngroups, to get to know the lads, and thus be in a better position to help them when they\nare ready for release. J. D. Rickaby, the association's executive director, has been in\nconstant touch with New Haven. His counsel and assistance and ever-ready willingness\nto perform any task which will facilitate a youth's rehabilitation have been invaluable.\nDuring the year the association became a member of the Greater Vancouver Community\nChest and is now a Red Feather agency. This will assure the association of a regular\nincome in the future and relieve the directors of the time-consuming task of an annual\nfinancial appeal.\nADMISSIONS AND DISCHARGES\nThe roll on January 1st, 1955, was thirty-six; on December 31st, 1955, it was thirty-\nnine. Sixty-two were admitted and fifty-one were released. Seven were returned to\nOakalla, five for absconding, and two as unsuitable for further training in an open\ninstitution.\nSix absconded. This figure represents 6.1 per cent of those passing through the\ninstitution during the year. All, save one, received additional sentences for absconding.\nOnly one of the six was returned to New Haven.\nThe average age on reception of those committed to the institution was 19.1 years,\nas compared to 18.7 years in 1954 and 18.4 years in 1953.\nThe following table lists the offences for which youths were committed to New\nHaven:\u2014\nBreaking and entering and theft  20\nBreaking and entering     3\nTheft      8\nTheft of automobile  12\nFalse pretences      5\nForgery      3\nRobbery with violence     4\nManslaughter      2\nCarnal knowledge     3\nContributing to juvenile delinquency     2\nPossession of explosives      1\nPossession of stolen property     1\nDangerous driving      1\nBreach of recognizance     1\nThe average length of stay at the institution was 8.7 months, as compared with 8.4\nmonths last year.\nTRAINING\nThe same over-all training programme which has proved effective in former years\nwas followed with few modifications.   Continued emphasis was placed on the develop- REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF NEW HAVEN\nGG 7\nment of habits of industry and application, participation and mutual co-operation in\ngroup activities, and the growth of personal responsibility and trust.\nVocational\nAll lads are occupied in vocational training during the working part of each day,\nwith the exception of those in their first month. These work on the cleaning party and\nare available for interviews and testing.\nThe four trade parties\u2014woodworking, metalwork, cooking and baking, and farming\u2014had their full quota of trainees over the greater part of the year.\nThe fifteen on the farm were engaged in outside work\u2014feeding and caring for the\nanimals, planting and harvesting a small field crop, looking after the grounds and buildings, and constructing a poultry-house with cement blocks. These lads also formed the\nnucleus of the day parties working at the forestry camp-site in Garibaldi Park.\nOf the eleven working in the kitchen, some were engaged in learning the fundamentals of cookery and baking, attending weekly lectures and gaining practical experience while assisting with the preparation of the institution's meals; others worked as\ndining-room attendants, with special emphasis on the care and cleanliness of crockery\nand utensils, setting and laying of tables, and the proper manner in which to serve food\nand wait on table. They all assisted in the preparation, cooking, and serving of 42,751\nmeals.\nThe twenty-six who obtained their training in the woodworking-shop commenced\nby learning to make simple wood joints with the use of hand-tools. From there they\nprogressed to a variety of projects, making use of the joints they had learned. As quickly\nas possible, each lad was advanced to machine operations, and his projects increased in\ncomplexity as he became more skilled and efficient. A number undergoing training in\nthe wood-shop have taken up apprenticeship in carpentry on their release.\nThe metal-shop had thirty undergoing training during the course of the past year.\nHere, as in the wood-shop, lads have the opportunity of gaining experience in all phases\nof the trade, under an experienced instructor. Instruction in benchwork, lathe, sheet\nmetal, welding, and mechanical draughting are available. The equipment of the shop\nwas augmented by the purchase of two new lathes and an electric welder during the year.\nThe directors of the Borstal Association have announced the setting-up of an endowment fund as a memorial to the late R. J. Lecky, one of the association's founders and\npast presidents. It is intended that the earnings from this fund shall be used to pay for\nfurther vocational training for any really promising lad who, on release, might benefit\nfrom additional training but is unable to afford it. This will prove a great stimulus to\nthose who want to get ahead and have the intelligence and ability to advance further in\ntheir trade.\nEducational\nThe evening academic programme, under the direction of the Housemaster, has\nremained unchanged. Mr. Davies interviews all receptions after their arrival and decides\nwhat correspondence courses will best suit their needs, bearing in mind their mental\ncapacity, educational attainment, the trade party in which they are hoping to enrol, and\ntheir plans for the future. Those retarded youths incapable of handling a correspondence\ncourse are enrolled in a special class and given individual attention by Mrs. Page, a part-\ntime teacher experienced in remedial teaching methods.\nMr. Davies reports:\u2014\n\"During the past year sixty-eight enrolled in high-school courses, as shown\nhereunder:\u2014 GG 8\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nArt 10  1\nAutomotive 91  18\nAutomotive 92  3\nBook-keeping 34  3\nBusiness Arithmetic 12___ 5\nDiesel 91   2\nElectricity 20  3\nForestry 30  4\nGrammar and Composition 10  1\nGrammar and Composition 20  1\nHealth 20  1\nHomemaking 10  5\nHouse Furnishing  1\nHouse Building and Construction   3\nHouse Painting and Decorating \t\nMechanical Drawing\t\nMathematics 10\t\nMathematics 20\t\nMathematics 101\t\n6\n2\n7\n5\n1\nRadio and Wireless  2\nRecord-keeping 11   2\nSteam Engineering  2\nSocial Studies 10  1\nSocial Studies 20  3\nSocial Studies 30  4\nEnglish 10  1\nEnglish 20  2\nEnglish 32  1\nEnglish 40   1\nFrench 10  1\nBusiness Fundamentals  1\n\" Enrolment in the special class was twenty-five.\n\" In reviewing the work of the past year, certain highlights are worthy of special\nmention. Thirteen successfully completed their courses while at New Haven; seven\naveraged over 85 per cent. Three completed two courses, averaging over 85 per cent in\ntheir final tests, and enrolled in a further course to take with them on release. A Chinese\nyouth, anxious to complete his matriculation, enrolled in four courses, and, by dint of\nsheer hard work and persistence, passed all his subjects and sat for a Departmental\nexamination, which he passed with a mark of 91 per cent.\"\nMrs. Page, commenting on her work with the special class, writes:\u2014\n\" The special class is a cross-section of lads in the low elementary grades, a few\ncompletely illiterate, all educationally retarded, but most of them capable of absorbing\nand benefiting from further schooling. Many of them are negativistic, resentful of teacher-\nparent-society authority, conscious of early failure in school, reluctant to return as adults\nto a learning situation found unsatisfactory in childhood. Many have not only been\nunable to write and spell, but were completely without desire or initiative to do so. With\nmuch practice these lads have plodded through the humiliation of primary reading and\nspelling and basic number facts, to be able finally on leaving New Haven to express themselves acceptably in written English, to avail themselves of the institution library, and to\nsolve arithmetic problems of daily living. It is amazing what pride and confidence it gives\nthese lads to discover that they are able to achieve such accomplishments.\"\nMention has been made in previous Reports of the valuable part played by the\nlibrary and the use made of visual aids in the educational programme.\nReligious\nThere have been no major changes in the religious training programme since my last\nreporting. Rev. Grant Hollingworth, our visiting Protestant chaplain, has continued to\nprovide a vigorous and stimulating programme which has awakened considerable interest\namong those of the Protestant faith. Unfortunately the Roman Catholic chaplaincy has\nagain undergone a number of changes. Father McAvoy was replaced by Father Gerrone,\nwho in turn was replaced by Father Corcoran. The importance of continuity in working\nwith lads who at best are rather vague about matters pertaining to their faith, and are\ninclined to view every change with suspicion, cannot be overstressed. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF NEW HAVEN GG 9\nPadre Hollingworth, reporting on his year's work, writes:\u2014\n\" The paramount obligation of the chaplain is to ensure that proper opportunities\nare given for religious devotion each Sunday, and on other days of religious or national\nsignificance. Thus it is gratifying to report that services of worship have been held regularly each Sunday throughout the year, and on Good Friday and Remembrance Day.\nOn the fourth Sunday of each month Rev. Harold Berry has conducted the service, and\nhis assistance, together with that of Mr. Frank Hicks, our voluntary organist, who not\nonly acted as organist each Sunday, but also organized a choir for carol singing at Christmas, has been most helpful and is greatly appreciated.\n\" It is to the chaplain, further, that the lad chiefly turns for instruction and advice\nin matters of religion and morals. Frequently the chaplain can and does resolve the\ndoubts of a confused, bewildered youth, and in addition teaches the fundamental truths\nof religion, which in many cases has either not been learned or has been forgotten.\n\" This aspect of the chaplain's work is undertaken by means of a twofold programme. The first is by the regular use\u2014one each week\u2014of a religious film which\nstresses at least one specific Christian truth. This is normally followed by a discussion of\nthe theme of the film. During the last quarter of the year a series of thirteen films upon\nthe life and work of the Apostle Paul were shown. The interest which these films evoked\nwarrants an extension of the use of such films at regular intervals to youths of this\nage-group.\n\" The second aspect of this programme is developed by means of a more intensive\nreligious discussion group which meets on Wednesday evenings and is of a voluntary\nnature. The subjects discussed are those suggested by the lads themselves, and the questions asked and the problems presented reflect the interest and concern of those present\nin securing an adequate philosophy of life\u2014a \" faith to live by.\" Copies of the devotional\nbooklet, \" The Upper Room,\" have been distributed to all those who agree to use them\ndaily, and New Testaments have been given to any requesting them.\n\" Recognizing the fact that, before free and frank discussion is possible, the chaplain and the lad concerned must get to know one another; each new admission is interviewed by the chaplain soon after his arrival. Through an awareness of the boy's religious\nbackground which comes from the initial interview, the chaplain, at a later date, is in a\nmore favourable position to counsel and advise. The relationship which is frequently\nestablished between the lad and the chaplain has, on a number of occasions, extended on\nafter the lad has left the institution, and local churches are encouraged to pursue this\nrelationship and the lad's interest in religion, so that what has been kindled while at New\nHaven may not die out upon his release.\"\nWe are very proud of our two new chapels, which were completed in August. These\nchapels, Protestant and Roman Catholic, were constructed from two old rooms in the\nmain building by our own lads and fitted with furnishings made in the wood-shop.\nPHYSICAL EDUCATION, SPORT, AND ATHLETICS\nMr. Strain has been in charge of our weekly physical education classes again this\nyear, and all those physically fit have been taking part in the programme. The gymnasium is sadly in need of repair, the floor having sagged in one corner, but I have been\nassured by the Department of Public Works that we shall have a new gymnasium next\nyear. This will allow us to increase and develop both the physical training and the sports\nprogramme.\nMr. Willox, supervisor in charge of sports, was responsible for training and coaching our softball and basketball teams. Both teams had a good season and drew high\npraise for the quality of their conduct and sportsmanship. In basketball, eight \" away \"\ngames were played with the Princess Margaret High School (Newton), the Provincial\nNormal School, and St. Mary's Church (Kerrisdale).   In softball, we entered the Kerris- GG  10 BRITISH COLUMBIA\ndale Merchants' League (Senior C) and played twenty games\u2014ten at home and ten at\ncity parks. This was a very strong league, the ultimate winners winning the British\nColumbia championship. Although we were outclassed, the morale of our team was\nhigh throughout the entire season. The annual track and field meet, scheduled for July\n1st, had to be cancelled this year on account of bad weather and the state of our playing-\nfields. Volleyball, floor hockey, weight-lifting, and table-tennis, all have their devotees\nat New Haven, and many keenly contested intergroup tournaments and competitions were\nheld throughout the year. During the year we prepared and seeded down a small piece\nof ground, higher than the surrounding area, to use as a soccer pitch. The season commenced hopefully, but after a month's play the field became flooded and could no longer\nbe used. One of the big disadvantages of our property at New Haven is the fact that\nit is so low lying and gathers so much water that it becomes unusable by the late fall,\nand remains so all winter.\nOnce again a party of ten lads went up to Camp Artaban on Gambier Island and\nspent ten days preparing the site for its summer operations. This is always a much-\nanticipated outing and has now become an accepted part of our programme.\nHEALTH AND WELFARE\nOur medical officer and psychiatrist, Dr. R. G. E. Richmond, and visiting psychologist, Mr. R. McAllister, paid weekly visits to the institution throughout the year. Their\nadvice and practical help have always been most valuable. Dr. Richmond, reporting on\nhis work at New Haven, writes:\u2014\n\" There has been no change in the medical routine since the submission of the last\nannual report. Weekly visits have continued to be paid by the medical officer and psychologist. A psychiatric report is prepared on each inmate shortly after admission, and\nthose requiring further psychiatric exploration have been visited additionally.\n\" The programme is such that it appears to minimize emotional disturbances, with\nthe result that equilibrium is maintained amongst a majority of the inmates. The classification picture has changed somewhat owing to the increased services made available\nby probation. Many of the lads who would have been committed to New Haven in\nformer years have been placed on probation, with the result that the type of candidate\nfor New Haven has varied accordingly. The impression gained is that there are more\nselected for New Haven who are less mature and potentially more delinquent than previously. Many are educationally retarded but make good progress under the skilled\ntuition of Mrs. Page.\n\" The increased frequency of sentences which include only a three months definite\nplus an indefinite period has caused a certain amount of difficulty, as at New Haven the\ntraining is geared to a progressive curriculum which cannot be undergone in less than\nsix months. Very few of those sentenced to such a short period of definite time are suitable for discharge on completion of three months, but provided there is adequate orientation of each individual considered suitable for New Haven, before being transferred\nthere, and sentenced in this category, the problem should be minimal.\n\" The general health of the New Haven lads has been very satisfactory. The Outpatient Department of the Vancouver General Hospital has contributed greatly to the\nmedical needs of the institution. However, visits to this hospital have added to the\ndemands on staff and transportation, and it is to be hoped that as medical facilities\nexpand at Oakalla Prison Farm hospital, more of the consultant and hospital requirements could be met there.\n\" Medical and pharmaceutical equipment has been adequate for the few demands\nmade upon it. At New Haven, psychiatric disturbances are rare and, therefore, there\nis not the need for anything but infrequent use of the more recent psychiatric medicinal\naids. During the year, chlorpromozine was administered to one disturbed inmate with\nsuccessful results. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF NEW HAVEN\nGG  11\n\" We remain indebted to the Division of Venereal Disease Control and the Division\nof Tuberculosis Control of the Department of Health and Welfare for screening inmates\nprior to their transfer to New Haven, and also for subsequent occasional assistance.\"\nMedical Examinations\nInmates examined by the medical officer   175\nInmates escorted to Oakalla for treatment     17\nInmates admitted to New Haven infirmary      16\nInmates X-rayed\t\nEye examinations \t\nSupplied with glasses _.\nDental examinations ___\nSupplied with dentures\nEscorted to clinics\t\nInmates Hospitalized at Vancouver General Hospital\nAppendectomy\nSinus \t\nFracture \t\nCircumcision _\nBone removal\nExaminations\n26\n9\n7\n117\n7\n52\nMr. McAllister reports:\u2014\n\"Psychological services for the year ended December 31st, 1955, have included\nthe individual administration by the psychologist of twenty-seven Wechsler-Bellevue\nIntelligence Scales, Form I; thirteen Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scales, Form II;\nand eleven Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales. Administered by Mr. V. H. Goad, social\nworker at New Haven, were fifty-one California Mental Health Analyses and thirty-seven\nCalifornia Occupational Interest Inventories. First steps were taken during the year to\nhave the California Interest Inventory administered prior to the inmate's transfer to New\nHaven; that is, while he was still in the Oakalla Prison Farm classification wing. It is\nplanned to undertake eventually the completion of all the tests before the transfer to\nNew Haven is effected, which will free Mr. Goad for other work to some extent, and\nshould enable the psychologist, too, to give more individual attention to the needs of\nthe trainees at New Haven.\"\nWorking very closely with the psychiatrist and the psychologist is our full-time social\nworker, Mr. V. H. Goad.   Mr. Goad, describing his work over the past year, writes:\u2014\n\"During the year under review I have dealt with ninety-five cases on an individual\nbasis.\n\"As in the previous year, each new reception has been seen a number of times\nduring his early settling-in period, to obtain pertinent information for his file, administer\ntests, and assist him in any way possible to get off to a good start.\n\" During the remainder of his stay at the institution each lad has been interviewed\non a monthly basis to discuss his progress as reported by the Housemaster, his instructor,\nand members of the supervising staff. Those who have had difficulty have been seen\nmore often in an attempt to help them gain their various promotions. The standards of\nperformance and behaviour demanded at New Haven are very high, and some lads do\nnot relish the thought of exerting the amount of effort required. A few of these carry\na deep-seated psychological block which must be dealt with accordingly, but many others,\nunfortunately, have simply lacked sufficient training in their upbringing. The former\nhave been referred to the staff psychiatrist for special interviews, but the latter have had GG 12 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nto discover, through empirical trial-and-error methods, that rewards are seldom forthcoming unless they have been earned legitimately.\n\" Until last August we had been conducting our own tests to determine each lad's\noccupational interest, as a guide when assigning him to his permanent vocational training.\nSince then this testing has been done at Oakalla, prior to classification, and the results\nforwarded with the other documents when a lad has been transferred to New Haven.\n\" The mental-health analysis is still being done by us and has proved a useful device\nfor assessing emotional development and social adjustment. It is interesting to note\nthat the six lads who absconded during the year all showed low scores for their behaviour\nmaturity and emotional control. But it would not be fair to refuse admission to any lads\non the basis of these scores alone, because a number of others, with similar test results,\nhave benefited considerably by the training they have received here.\n\" The Board of Parole has continued its former policy of promoting senior lads to\nthe discharge class two months prior to their release on licence. I have again presented\nthe background information and summary of accomplishments at New Haven for each\ncase being studied. There have been forty-five lads making their first appearance before\nthe Board during the year.\n\" I have continued to prepare discharge reports for the use of the British Columbia\nBorstal Association, and these have been compiled from information gathered in each\nlad's file during his period of training at the institution.\"\nSTAFF\nThere were two new appointments during 1955. Mr. McLeish, who had previously\nbeen on the staff, returned to it, and Mr. McDougall joined to fill a vacancy in the\ninstructional cadre brought about by Mr. Alexander's resignation in March. The implementation of the forty-hour working-week made it necessary to take on one additional\nsupervisor, as well as a temporary summer employee to assist over the holiday period.\nFor this latter position we were fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr. Charles Mitchell,\na theological student from St. Chad's College, Regina, who had had previous institutional\nexperience.   Mr. Mitchell fitted in very well and did a goob job.\nIn the autumn three members of the Oakalla Prison Farm staff\u2014Messrs. Baker,\nNightingale, and Lacey\u2014were transferred to New Haven to assist with the organization\nand development of the new forestry camp project in Garibaldi Park. While at present\nattached to the New Haven staff, these men will in due course be stationed at the camp\nitself.\nAlthough there was no collective staff-training programme this year, six members of\nthe staff attended the Gaol Service two-week basic training course, covering the fundamentals of custody, supervision methods, human behaviour, and modern penal practices.\nThe morale of the staff, the interest they show in their work, and their attention to\nduty have always been worthy of high praise. This year has been no exception. All\nmembers of the staff have contributed, over and above their duty, to the general welfare\nof the institution, and have spent many off-duty hours working with groups of lads in\nsome spare-time activity.\nAFTER-CARE\nThe after-care of lads released on licence from New Haven has continued to be\nmaintained at a high level. During the year the British Columbia Borstal Association\nincreased its membership to include thirty-nine centres throughout the Province, with a\ntotal of 125 active sponsors. These men have given unsparingly of their time and talent\nto assist those placed under their care and supervision. They deserve the highest praise.\nThe results of their work can best be described by quoting from the executive director's\nreport to the annual meeting of the association, held in Vancouver, November 28th last:\u2014 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF NEW HAVEN GG  13\n\" In the past six years your association has accepted from the Parole Board of British\nColumbia the supervision and after-care of 263 New Haven graduates. As Mr. Keetch\nhas told you, we believe that 80 per cent of this number have remained law-abiding\ncitizens.\n\" The problem of presenting accurate rehabilitation figures becomes more and more\ndifficult each year, as, with the passing of time, we naturally lose track of some of our\nboys. We can, however, give you accurate figures as to the number who remain law-\nabiding citizens during their parole period, the average length of which is eleven months.\n\"During the period 1952 to 1954, inclusive, 88 per cent or 120 of the 136 lads\nreleased to our parole supervision kept within the law; however, eighteen of the 120\nrequired help from the Parole Board, who revoked their licences and returned them to\nNew Haven for further training.\n\"At any one time your association is interested in approximately ninety young men\u2014\nforty still undergoing training at New Haven and fifty under your supervision. A goodly\nnumber of others could be included\u2014the many New Haven graduates whose licence\nperiods have expired but who continue to visit our office or their former sponsors seeking\nhelp and advice in various matters or just wanting a friendly chat.\n\"Since our last annual meeting, which was held on November 29th, 1954, fifty-two\nlads have been released to our care, as compared to fifty-four for the corresponding period\nlast year. Suitable employment and sponsors were obtained for all, and we were called\nupon to locate lodgings for seven.\n\" To date, three of the fifty-two have been reconvicted and another eight have had\ntheir licences revoked. Four of the eight were returned to New Haven for further training,\ntwo were sent to Oakalla, and two are still at large. Failing to report to their sponsor,\nnot leading a steady and industrious life, and leaving their place of residence without\npermission were, in that order, the most common parole violations.\n\"Many unsolicited complimentary remarks are received by your association from\ntime to time. Recently a lad nearing the end of his licence period wrote: 'I appreciate\nall you people have done for me. I am going to write to Mr. Smith shortly and thank him\nfor the wonderful help he gave me in the past.' Another chap writes: ' I saw my sponsor\nand he sure is a nice person to whom I can put my trust in.'   A letter from one of our\nemployers states:   ' I am writing to you in reference to M P .   He has turned\nout to be one of the best workers I have. I have never met a boy with a nicer personality, and all the chaps who are working with him think the same as I do.'   Another\nemployer writes:  ' Mr. A K \u25a0 has been employed with us for the past five months\nand we take pleasure in recommending him for his honesty, application, and hard work.\nWe cannot recommend him too highly to his new employers.' (This comment is all the\nmore amazing when one realizes the young man referred to had been sent to New Haven\nfor breaking and entering thirty-one homes.) A parent writes: 'Both my husband and\nI want to thank you for helping our son so much. Bob is a different boy now. Please\nalso thank Mr. Smith for the wonderful work he has done.' A mother recently stated:\n' I have noticed a remarkable change for the good in Ron. He looks different, talks different, and is much more considerate. His sponsor is a really fine man and Ron thinks\nthe world of him.' One of our out-of-town sponsors writes of his lad: 'I hope all of\nyou who have worked with Jim realize what a great deal Borstal has done for him.' \"\nThese excerpts from the files of the Borstal Association need no comment, they\nspeak for themselves. They do, however, demonstrate very forcibly what can be achieved\nby close mutual co-operation between institution and after-care authorities.\nCONCLUSION\nIn conclusion, I should like once again to express my gratitude to all those individuals and groups who have helped in so many ways during the year.   I am most grateful GG 14\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nto Mr. E. G. B. Stevens, Inspector of Gaols, for his kindness and consideration at all\ntimes; for the co-operation afforded me by Mr. Hugh Christie, Warden of Oakalla Prison;\nand all those members of the Provincial Government service who have gone out of their\nway to assist me in my work and willingly given of their time and skill.\nvictoria, B.C.\nPrinted by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty\n1956\n435-356-9609  ","@language":"en"}],"Genre":[{"@value":"Legislative proceedings","@language":"en"}],"Identifier":[{"@value":"J110.L5 S7","@language":"en"},{"@value":"1956_V03_17_GG1_GG14","@language":"en"}],"IsShownAt":[{"@value":"10.14288\/1.0349051","@language":"en"}],"Language":[{"@value":"English","@language":"en"}],"Provider":[{"@value":"Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library","@language":"en"}],"Publisher":[{"@value":"Victoria, BC : Government Printer","@language":"en"}],"Rights":[{"@value":"Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia","@language":"en"}],"SortDate":[{"@value":"1956-12-31 AD","@language":"en"},{"@value":"1956-12-31 AD","@language":"en"}],"Source":[{"@value":"Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia","@language":"en"}],"Title":[{"@value":"Report of the Director of New Haven For the Year Ended December 31st 1955","@language":"en"}],"Type":[{"@value":"Text","@language":"en"}],"Translation":[{"@value":"","@language":"en"}],"@id":"doi:10.14288\/1.0349051"}