committee established in August 1944. It had
two main recommendations:

1. Establish a separate institution for young
offenders; and

2. Amend federal legislation to enable use of
indeterminate sentencing at this institution.

Support for this concept came from community
groups. Por example, a public meeting
suggested the restoration of a Borstal program
in British Columbia. This meeting, held under
the auspices of the Welfare Council of Greater
Vancouver, took place in October 1945. A year
later, an interdepartmental committee was
formed to advise the attorney general about
implementing this suggestion.

The committee included:
J.P. Hogg, Chairman;

Legislative counsel representing the attorney
general;

John A. Shirras, Deputy Commissioner, B.C.
Provincial Police;

Eric Pepler, Deputy Attorney General;

E.G.B. Stevens, Provincial Social Service
Officer;

R.M. Burns, Assistant Deputy Minister of
Finance;

H.L. Campbell, Assistant Superintendent and
Chief Inspector of Schools;

E.W. Griffiths, Deputy Minister of Welfare; and
HS, Wood, Senior Magistrate, Vancouver.
Several recommendations were made:

1. Ditect committal of the offender to New
Haven, with provision for transfer if the

referral turned out to be inappropriate.
Direct sentencing to New Haven was
strongly favoured to prevent contact with
more experienced inmates at Oakalla.

2. Provision for indeterminate sentences
applicable to British Columbia under the
Prisons and Reformatories Act. To reform the
offender, a lengthier and indeterminate
period was viewed as necessary. In making
this recommendation, the committee was
influenced by indeterminate and Borstal
sentences in England.

3, Expansion of probation to cover the entire
province. Probation officers were needed to:

« Prepare case histories to assist judges and
magistrates in deciding on the offender’s
suitability for New Haven;

» Supervise young adult offenders released by
magistrates on probation; and

a Prepare case histories and provide supervi-
sion in juvenile courts where probation offi-
cers were not yet employed.

4, Employment of guards as well as instructors
for the new institution.

During 1947, Attorney General R.L. Maitland
passed away and a by-election was held.
Gordon Wismer, who was elected in the 1945
general election, was appointed the new
attorney general in the coalition government.
He immediately set machinery in motion to
reopen New Haven. A public meeting was held
to outline the reopening and rally public
support.

New Haven reopened in November 1947 as a
training centre for young adult offenders. J.D.
Hobden and the John Howard Society were
again influential in this regard. Selwyn
Rocksborough-Smith was appointed director

Era of Punishment (1871-1949)

51