The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-20 00:00:00

done the possible to turn into useful
men those Who would have been the pests of
ciety, and have saved ourselves we doubt not,
on the whole, many times the cost of their train-
ing in saving the cost of repeated offences, trials,
and punishments. In this light the education at
Parkhurst is even pecuniarily cheap.

Much has been frequently said on the too great
attention paid to the comfort of the prisoners,
and the danger of divesting a prison of its whole-
some terrors. The Report adverts fully to this
subject (Sun, Sept. 'ith). Colonel JEBB fully ad-
mits that, notwithstanding the moral advantage
to be gained by a long course of industrial train-
ing, it must not be gained by sacrificing the b,
dis-
tinction between employment and hard labour ;
the greatest profit which can be realised is that of
deterring others from crime by the prisoner's
narrative of his prison experience, and by deter-
ring the prisoner himself from incurring a second
imprisonment. In Scotland, Sir JOHN KINCAID
reports that thieves and vagrants, before whipping
boys under 14, and hard labour in all cases was
allowed, found the comforts of a prison greater
in many cases than what they enjoyed out of it,
and the idleness was quite to their taste. Hence,
in justice to the community, after a full and costly
trial of the merely reformatory system, a great
change has been made. Reformation is still consi-
dered a primary object, but the leading feature of
the system is to be of a " strong deterring cha-
racter." Crank machinery, severe labour in
oakum picking ; and, where medical considera-
tions do not interfere, a wooden bed with just
clothing enough, for the first month, to be suc-
ceeded by the usual bed on good behaviour, are
the deterring expedients suggested. It is justly,
however, observed that, added to the loss of
liberty, the personal cleanliness required, and the
regular habits which give an air of comfort to a
prison, are at first great additions to the punish-
ment. If, as Mr. F. HILL well remarks, we fur-
ther remember the previous habits of most
prisoners, and that in prison they are cut off
from all companions, must rise at six o'clock, can-
not remain in their dirt all day, but are com-
pelled to wash themselves well ; that they have
then to labour severely with the prospect of losing
their dinner if they do not ; no pipe, no snuff,
no laughter, whistling, singing, or shouting ; no
gambling, no drinking,—and if we remember the
pain of breaking off a single bad habit, it will be
apparent that even "if the prisoners were fed on
turtle instead of barley broth, and slept on down
instead of straw, there would be but few appli-
cants for their places." In a word, the honest
labourer out of prison need not grudge the
prisoner the diet and comforts without which it
is found by experience, that neither his bodily
nor mental health can sustain the confinement.

Colonel JEBB concludes his Report with a brief
advertence to the great importance of measures
preventive of crime. These he arranges under•
three heads—systematic pressure on the acknow-
ledged causes of crime, such as drunkenness, low
lodging-houses, receivers of stolen goods, &c. ;
measures to check the increase of juvenile criminals,
such as rendering their homes more decent, and,
especially, the industrial education of the lowest
classes, as yet the class reached by no Govern-
ment scheme of education ; and, in combination
with the proposed corrective reformatory disci-
pline appropriate to the various classes of crimi-
nals, a distinct effort in behalf of discharged pri-
soners. Under such a complete and harmonious
system it may well be hoped that we shall gain
rather than lose, if the cessation of transpor-
tation shall compel our adopting it as far as prac-
ticable. The second preventive measure sug-
gested will be attained to a large extent when
Lord SHAFTESBURY'S plan, which was praised but
dropped last session, is brought into operation.
We trust that nothing will hinder its adoption
next year. His Lordship is just one of those
voluntary coadjutors whom Colonel JEBB desires,
and who ought, as he observes, to be adequately
encouraged by the Government. The public are
much indebted to the Colonel for his able and
suggestive Report.