The Howard Journal. Vol. VIII. No. 2. (The Howard League
for Penal Reform. as. 6d.) THIs year's issue of the official organ of the Howard League contains some hopeful news of prison treatment, including a survey of group therapy by Dr. Mackwood, psychia- trist in Wormwood Scrubs, in which he describes what one man called the " magic " effect of associating groups of about eight men for treatment. A review by Mr. L. W. Fox of " hopes and achievement " in prison administration since 1945 includes an account of training centres, evening classes, relaxation of rules about earnings and the reception of letters, and new types of cloth- ing. On the adverse side may be set the rise in the number of prisoners—now over 20,000, about twice what it was before the war— with the consequent overcrowding of prison buildings and lack of staff. ,Mr. George Benson analyses the report of the Prison Commissioners for 1949 ; Miss Margery Fry writes on the Colonies and Miss Craven on Ceylon ; there are various articles on social work and after-care, a description of Alresford Place Hostel-School which opened in 1 949 for maladjusted children, and an article on variations in juvenile courts. A comment on criminal statistics points out that twelve to fifteen is still the age at which most offences are committed ; that murder has decreased but suicide increased. The Howard League, which in various forms has been in existence for nearly a century, and exists to substitute "educationally construc- tive methods for repressive methods in criminal administration," is appealing for
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