Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-11-28

Il
conyicts in their march TO and from their labour is
| imposing. But the vi>itcr does not see, nor can
| tn keeper see, at all times, the signs OF inte-
gcnce, or hear the whispers Of commune alton
that are made, and must from the nature oil things
] be made, between the most abandoned fe.ons,
working Tor years IN the same shop, within few
feet OF each other. Strict discipline we are told,
/ prevents tnis-hose who are detected are in.
$ anhy punished. and the fear of new inf.icton
/ keeps them silent. IL viii make them cautious:
| but 1t must change their nature not only as NAL.
efacors. but as men, II 1t does not increase their
desi~e OF communicating with each other while
the apos biiiy OF doing il unobservet; and tina,
such possibility exists, 1t would be vain to deny
not only during the time OF labour, when a
word addressed to one standing within few fee,
could not be heard further than was intended BY
reason CT the clanking ofhammers aud the noise
OF machinery, but along the liue Of the lock march,
IN going TO and returning from Labor when the lips
oil each man are placed within few inches OF the
F, ear OF he one who precedes him, situation in
hni'ely we'll calculated for passing the word of re-
volt or establishing conventional signs of inte!i;.
g-nce from the TO the front of the line almost
with electrical rapidity. The endeavor to over
come these facilities for communication, although
J. can never perfectly succeed, must be sustained
by placing unlimited power in the hands, not on
! ~ OF the warden, but every subordinate keeper
1 Immediate chastsement by the intlcton oil stripes
the whole system is based upon this. Every
! under keeper may beat any convict without any
kind of restriction. He has only to suppose an
irreverent look, or sign of intelligence, and it is
his duty to apply the @lip-there can be check.
\ lie says he saw Sign made 10y one convict 10
| another; the convict denies having made or in
tended II. and he is bea'en-not only TO punish
him for having made the sign, but a,nf;i he con-
tJesses that nc did make a. This is not only what
may happen, but what has happened, and what
| has received the solemn sanction OF a court OF
lJusIce, as necessary and legal power TO be
vested not in the warden or inspectors, but in the
under Keepers Now, will any one say that this
power vested in subordinate hands is not liable to
be abused. and as it is declared to be discretiona
| ry, abused with IMMUNITY; or that system which
! can only he supported by such an inve.titure Of
power can be, az II has been termed, n perfect mo
del for imitation. The worst portion OF it, in my
opinion, is not the facility it gives to eorruping
associations or to arranging plans Of escape. In
both these particulars it is infinitely superior to
any other existing institution Of the kind BUTT
ia in this. thait enables the lowest officer of the
| Penitenary, at his will, to alter the punishment
directed by law, to one that the law has discard
| ed as too unequal and demorazing and degrading
to De inflicted, and thus to incrt ase the punish
mcnt ola slight offence TO degree greater than
/ that designated for one Off deeper dye:-And in
this, Tn at system OF labor carried on by stripes
; Is not Qor the reasons stated in my introductory
report TO the code OF prison discipline) calculated
| TO produce reformation, Which hold to be most
essential object in any plan of criminal law.
AS opposed to this system have vcntured to
propose one based upon abour in scclusion; as a
! relief from seciusion without labour; succeeded
! gradually by instruction, and labor in cIass-
| tied society, labor not coerced, but granted as
! a favor; and instruction given as the reward nj
industry and good conduct, not enforced as a task
i! \ OH will have seen the details in my code of
prison discipline. Whether your opinion and mine
! agree as 10 those details know not but am sure
! we do in the utility OF sec:usion accompanied by
moral, religious and scientific instruction and rae
! tul manual labor.
! was myself deceived by surprising that the
! report of the Committee Of the Senate had been
adopted as the ground-work OF your penitentiary
discipline, md that absolute solitude without Labor
: fDr ynr
4; your verbal explanations have convinced ME of
/. my error, and wonder exceedingly that those in
your several instructive publications have not al
convinced others that the design of the nav phi
adelphia Penentiary is MOTTO nflict the dreadful
punishment OF absolute solitude without labor and
without instruction. This has been improperlv as
sumed in all the parallels between the Auburn dis
cipline and that of your state and discardIno 10,
; IS very property done) the discipline of the old
peniient!ary the question has been argued as III
; the consequence Of not taking the Auburn nIan
would DC resort TO absolute soiit lde, as a punish
nent. III this were the case should he ;nciped
! 20 adopt the former with all its Inconvenience
But not believing this 20 be ne cessary alternative
cannot but lament the efforts that are MAKING tng
induce your legislature TO abandon the experiment
which your noble building is so wei caIcuJa,ed fr
making with effect Your sta ,e has zone 10 grea,
expense to solve by experiment Ohe best OF all
ineanS} the great questions, whether conyc.s can
not, by Judicious treatment, be reformed as well
"a punished by the same process: whether tbo,,
may not be made examples 10 foIIoty in tla;r j;,a
after punishment, As they are examples m avoid
| IN their cenduct preceding it, Whether the wbin
Is the most proper instrument to nculcae lessons
OF religion morality industry and science; and Ybe
ther man will love iabour the better for haying
been forced by the ini!iction OF The fear of the
lash TO perform certain quantity of il every dav3
would 1t be wise TO abandon this experim ent al I
the very moment that you have Incurred ali The 1
expense At required, and overcome all the Difficult
Ives 1t at hfs presented? Besides il seems IN mo
That II were Pennsy lyaniac without tie full
est conviction that the plan devised by Penn and
SO successfully executed in the State afterwards
was iinpracticable, should never consent IN a. |
oaoh II Tor one founded on directly opposite prin
cpies' should eei some State pride land surely
there can be no better foundation on which 10 nlace
~ IN she"inS that as Penn yiyana was the first
| 10 propose the system, 90 she would have Tho !
creut OF bringing 1t to perfection. would NOT
be dazZied ~ the praise that has been bestowed on
the Auburn plan, or debarred by the erroneous |
| we" that mas been taken Of your own; would
closely scrunni%e The ioTmer TO discover to what
part IT'S success is due; would follow that but |
would not copy those parts which diyerge from
the principles on which all peniteniiary punish |
Inen's ought TO be founded. The secIus;on d, |
night, which Mr.. Lynds introduced. was ,,reo,
step towards perfection the ndiscrininate sseo.
cIauoh oy day was retrograde movement The IN |
elects oil which are partially counterscted bv The
severe uiscipine oil personal cbastisenent bv |
7ripes practice more injurious than the evil II
puTpofts to correct. l atm not in what 60. ..
you ana nave published 10 the world ar this s,,t
lect governed by any sickiy feeling OF comn,esio
ior me sun'rings OF convicts. if had the nov1
erS' ana ,hought them necessary 10 prevent crime
couW diTect puniShnents as strongIv az u,osa !
VINO entertain opinions different from mine. Ruf
oGHVe cohVicis 10 be men, bad men, il il true
out pad IRON example, from poverty, frotn vice
! from idIcnPss, from infemper,nca g.. It. -