State of Tasmania
The Inquiry into the Control and Management of Ashley Boys Home began in 1951. The government initiated it after accusations that boys from Ashley did badly after their release. The Committee conducting the inquiry made an interim report in October 1951 and a final one in April 1953.
The Inquiry addressed four main issues:
The interim report of the Committee found that 80 percent of boys who had been at Ashley did not go on to reoffend. It made 14 recommendations, including:
The final report was more concerned with the causes of delinquency and how to prevent it. Drawing on a Memorandum of Juvenile Delinquency issued by the British Home Office and Ministry of Education in 1949, it found that the causes were poor housing, problems with parenting, a failure to identify 'sub-normal' intelligence, and changes in society's 'moral standards'. Another problem was that children did not have enough guidance about how to use their leisure time. Finally, the high prices of goods attractively displayed in shops led to theft.
In order to prevent juvenile delinquency, the Committee made a number of recommendations. These included:
Sources used to compile this entry: 'Ashley Boys' Home reforms', The Mercury, 17 October 1951, p. 5, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27063316; Interim and final reports of the committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the control and management of the Ashley Home for Boys, Deloraine, Government of Tasmania, Hobart, 11 October 1951 and 2 April 1953, 10 pp.
Prepared by: Caroline Evans
Created: 24 October 2013, Last modified: 9 March 2016