The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-28 00:00:00

THE HOWARD ASSOCIATION.

The annual report of the Howard Association, Lon
don, for the promotion of the best methods of penal
treatment and crime prevention, has just been issued.
It contains in small compass, much interesting infor-
mation on a variety of subjects, including, in parti-
calar, sentences for crime, the new Prison Act, profit-
able prison labour, volunteer visits to prisoners, dis-
charged prisoners, the homicide laws, temperance,
education, and provident habits.
In mentioning the recent deputation from the
Association to the Home Secretary on the subject of
sentences, the report states that "there is much con-
currence of opinion among experienced magistrates
and prison officers that there is need for a law to secure
the cumulation of sentences on inveterate mis-
demeanants, including in particular personal assaults
and habitual drunken disorder. It is a common
thing to have this class of offenders committed
to prison from 50 to 100 times each, and by
no means rare to find committals of the same
individual ranging even from 100 to 150 times.
Such a course is a wrong to the community, to the
offender, and to the law itself. In cases like the
above, the cumulation of sentences need not always
imply cumulation of actual imprisonment, though in
many cases it might be necessary to adopt this course.
But in a large proportion ot instances a considerable
period of police supervision, obviating imprisonment
during good behaviour, might with advantage be
ordered. The same principle, with or without a series
of small or moderate payments of money, might be
with manifold benefit substituted for imprisonment
in a variety of cases of first offences of felony. The
committee especially recommend the merits of such
preventive sentences of police supervision with
pecuniary compensation by the offenders in lieu of im-
prisonment in many cases. But as to assaults and all
instances of wilful cruelty, whether first or repeated
offences, the law needs to be rendered generally more
severe than at present, especially as compared with
common offences against property. The existing
adoption of the cumulative principle in cases of felony,
however, requires some modification, as being too
uniformly rigorous."
Respecting the new Prison Act, the report observes
that by its operation "in England and Wales the gaols
have been reduced from 113 in 1877 to 76 in 1878—that
is to say, 37 gaols have been closed. This measure (long
urged by the Howard Association) will effect a great
saving of money, provided always that the new Board of
Commissioners do not incur additional expenditure in
other directions. In Scotland 13 prisons have already
been closed under this Act. The system of a graduated
treatment is now also introduced into county and
borough gaols throughout the country. Thus the element
of encouragement to good behaviour and industry is put
on a definite and general basis. The restrictions is to
visitation of prisoners by judicious pereons are, how-
ever, more and unduly stringent under the new rules.
The concentration of the prisoners in a much smaller
number of gaols affords the Government an oppor-
tunity of largely increasing remunerative prison
labour, and thus still further reducing Public expenses.
This can be done to much profit if the officials are en-
couraged to extend the practice adopted of late years—
in some gaols to much advantage (as for example at
Salford)—of entering into arrangements with local
tradesmen for a supply of prison goods---a plan im-
proving to the prisoners, helpful to them on discharge,
and economical to the taxpayer,"
The committee add, The new Prison Act is a
reality for Great Britain, But as to Ireland its re-
sultii are very disappointing ; yet there it was specially
needed. There are (beside bridewelle) 38 county and
borough gaols in Ireland. Altogether they contain
under 3,000 prisoners—that is to say, fewer than the
two English gaols of Coldbath-fields and Wakefield
In some Irish prisons there are almost as many
officers as prisoners! The great anomaly of these 38
gaols for so few inmates has been perpetuated by some
influential person insisting upon a clause in the Act
that every county should still have at least one gaol!
Many of the bridewells, or lock-ups,' have been dis
continued. But the whble 38 remain! What a con-
trast to Wales and the wise operation of Welsh
influences! About half the Welsh gaols have been, or
will be, suppressed by the new Act."
One of the points most strongly urged in the report
is the importance of more facilities for the volunteer
visitation of prisoners by judicious persons and under
suitable arrangements, so as to aid rather than inter-
fere with the discipline. It is mentioned that "the
chaplain of a (convict) prison with associated labour
recently wrote in his official report, 'ln every prison
we assume a serious responsibility by shutting in the
prisoner from all, or, more accurately, nearly all, the
good people that are outside.' He added, Here we go
one step further, we not only prevent the access to him of
the good, but we compel his association with the bad.
How careful should we not then be that every officer of
whatever grade or department, be of the best, exer-
cising a healing, helpful influence.' These are wise
words, based on practical experience. Yet there is
far too much unwillingness in some official quarters
to recognize the truth of the statement. All the
prisons having now passed into the hands of the
central Government, the access to prisoners, occa-
sionally permitted hitherto by judicious•visitors, ought
not only to have been continued, but considerably
extended. But the new Board has already increased
the stringency of the rules of visitation to prisoners."
An interesting portion of the report is that which
refers to the preventives of crime—as temperance
education, and provident habits.