Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-05-02
From the N Y. Star.

PRIsoN DISCIPLINE SOCIETY REpoRTs.-
This Society, achated solely by philanlhrO-
pic motives, furnish annually invaluable
statistical information of our prisons, by
which it will be seen that tntemperance, ig-
norance, and Tant Of parental care, are the
three prolific sources OF crime.
/. INTEMPERANcE. The fact is anthem
lcally ascerlaned, that in many instances
five-sixihs of the tenants of prisons have
been led TO crime by intemperance alone {;
and about half, or two-thirds, of them were
under the influence Of liquor at the time Of
perpetra,inn the crimes for which they
have been incarceraed. The warden OF
the new, extensive, and celebrated estab-
lishment al Philadelphia, says in his re-
port
"On few points have the community
been more mistaken than in the character
of convicts, who are, as a mass, an unior-
tunaie, uneducatcd, Ignorant class OF be-
inGs, victims Of inemperance and neglect"
Out of 2l7 received in 1885, 80 did not
drink ardent spirits. In tie Ohio peniien-
tiary, out Of 276, there were 202 who drank,
CT Of which were habi;ual drunkards. [So
much for the cheapness Of whiskey, west.
In Upper Canada, out OF 65, there were 95
who were intoxicated when they commits
ted the crimes.
Q. IGNoRANcE. In Connecticut, not one
Of the convicts had received n classical edu-
cation, or belonged to either Of the liberal
professions. About one half could not
write.
% The following important fact is sta
ted by the chaplain Of the Connecticut pris-
on:
"That knowledge is not very frequently
used rs an instrument in the commission OF
crime, may be presumed from the fact, that
OF the sc convicts committed to this prison
last year, the crimes of only four were OF
such nature as 10 require for their com
mission ability either 70 read or write"
The chaplain Of the Auburn prison, n
Y, in his last report, says,
cor 228 convicts committed last year, 4
had acaGemlcal educa,ons; SO could read
write and cypher So could read and write
| only; so could read only; and 60 coul,
MOI read. Page II.
l he warden Of the new peniteniary il
Philadelphia, in his last report, says,
"Of 917 prisoners received during The
year 1885, 60 can read, So can read ant
write, 63 cannot either read or write
Most of those who can read only, as wei
as those who can read and write, do eilhe
very indihercnty. Page 8.
The chaplain of the prison in Washing
ton city says, tile whole number Of prison
ers being but 6S,
Al least % have been taught 10 reat
Understandings, who Two years ago, hat
no knowledge OF letters, or could only spell
with difficulty the simplest words OF ont
syllable. Page 10.
The directors OF the Ohio Peniteniarv
| in their last report, say,
"OI the 276, nearly all below mediocri
~, l75 are grossly ignorant and in pon
OF education scarcely capable OF transact
ing the ordinary business OF life. "-Page 6
The inspectors Of the Peniteniinry in Up
per Canada, IN their last report, say,
"Ol 50, the whole number Of convicts
one had a collegiate education, 81 had
common education, 81 had inferior cGdca
zion, ID were unedGcated.- Page 10.
8. WANT OF Parental CARE. Beside
The predominant influence of immoral hab
lis rather Than intellectual requirements il
giving direction and impulse 10 crime, i
| is found that "one half OF those committee
10 this prison last year, were deprived o
parental coutrol before They were ! 5 wear
old 40 out OF GO lived rowing lives, 30 uu
of &C had no wives, 8 had been sailors,
are foreigners, 26 are from other States
and 81 followed no regular trade"