The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-07-27

scourge of society. That this Is exaggerated pic-
ture will be acknowledged by those who are familiar
with the writers of that period who meniion them
Indeed il is impossible Tor the present day and
10 our country 10 form an adequate idea OF hem
and such they remained IN most countries uDt We
~ recent date 10 Italy is due the honor of being
the first cou1ry TO lead the way IN cleansing the Au
gean stable and the Pope lwho on this occasion
showed hia.self the worthy head Of the Catholic
chureh) set a bright example TO other Governments
M the aIneliorstons he introduced IN the prisons
throughout his States. In this honorable career he
was soon followed by Holland. 10 these countries
their efforts were at FIRST directed To the improve
ment oil the eouyics physical condition, not only be-
cause this as much the easier task, but because II
hopeless 10 attempt purifying has soul whilst MS
body remained IN its filthy state. Alter they mad
produced entire change IN this respect, they turned
their attention 10 has moral improvement but here
they were less successful The means they hrst USED
for this purpose labor, and greater number oil
keepers preserve order finding these inadequate,
they introduced silence, and al last separation al
night. All these, though great improvements, were
insufficient 10 prevent The spread OF corruption
Thus far had they progressed when Beccaria and
Howard appeared THE foi mer the first great writer
penal law, the latter the patriarch Of that family
of phIlanhropists which has since become SO hume
rous, and the Christian ,abors OF whose members
have procured them that rich reward, The blessings
of the wretcted The works of these two excited
public attention; and at this time the Philadelphia,
and after the Boston Prison societies were
formed, and the systems they have advocated have
since divided our country.
We shall perhaps better understand the different
means adopted by these societies for the attainment of
their object, (namely, the punishment, and al the
same time the reformation OF the conyct) If we re-
gard villany a disease similar 10 madness in which
the afflicted II only suffers himself but dangerous
to society; and If we imagine such awful species
of madness should, like the plague, be communi-
Gated by contact to those ~ho not prepared to re-
sis il, shall al perceive that the foundation
Of all amendment must be to prevent communication.
This the New EngIanders following the Dutch hoped
to effect BY prOb ting all conversation under penalty OF
| The lash and thence the Silent or Auburn system,
which overlooks the thousand other means OF COM
nun cation VIII LIST our society were convinced that
there other objection to this brtai=ng plan,
it failed this first requisite, which was only TO be
obtained by the entire physical separation OF the prs
oners The silent plan, whilst II does not prevent
mutual corruption, keeps the convicts mind contln
uay occupied in evading the keepers Wig lance, to-
wards whom from his frequent detection and pun
ishment his only feeling hatred These, together
with the convcts becoming personally known, per.
haps after the commlttai of a first offence, to
the whole community of thieves, the most
prominent evils produced by this system and
as such its undoubted effects, what hope can it
offer OF the convicts reformation? 10 facjmost of
its advocates have long since trellnqushed all such,
and content themselves with its deerring power on
the public which should be only OF the ends of
| punishment How different is the effect produced by
the Philadelphia system BY this system each prs-
Oner has a cell 10 himself, which he lnhablts night
and day, being allowed for one moment to come
in contact with any OF his fellow convics but though
this dlsci pne acts upon the principle that the ndi
vidual separation Of the prisoners must be the foun-
daton of all improvement, they have nevertheless
been from the very outset the most uncompro missing
opponents of solitary confinement, OF favoring which
their enemies have never failed TO accuse them
! So far from its being true, the system which was
advocated by the Philadelphia Society (eyen be
fore the erection of the first cells their plan
| IN 1900 was, that the prisoner, though totally
separated from hr fellow-convicts, should be per-
mitted to see as many respectable persons would
not interfere with the discipline OF the institution
dependent Of the warden, instructors, inspectors,
clergyman, Physician and uiembe S Of the prison
ciety, all of whom obliged by law TO visit and
converse with him so many times per day and week
besides these there are the officers of the Govern
meni, Judges of courts, members of both Houses &c
he is also allowed TO correspond with his friends and
TO have useful books TO read is well clothed, fed is
taught useful trade, and lnhabits light and ai-y
chamber better warmed and ventilated than that OF
nine out of ten of his honest fellow citizens Such
was the discipline proposed by the society 10 1890;
and now, that II Is fifty years since the first prisoners
treated in this manner and that The Philadelph
and other pententlanes have long been in operation,
what is the result, The entire reformation Of many
of their inmates, and consequent decrease in the
number of prisoners the effect on the convicrs mind
| being always beneficial. HIS entire isolation from
all communicating companions, and the interval du-
ring which he left alone, without the most remote
hope OF escape, sooner or later lead him TO conem-
plate his degraded condition. Mot probably
this is the first time in his life that his thoughts have
been so directed If otherwise, the jsers ofhis com
panions, the toant Of encouraging friends, he seeming
hope'essnss Of reformaton have often driven them
| away. But here all this is changed Here are no
endSb comrades 10 ridclle threaten alt those with
HON he comes in contact encourage him 10 perse.
/ Ia I.st Il
him the only sure foundation OF a better life whilst
the clergyman, In the silence of his CELL where there
nothing To distract the attention, instructs him in
the unaccustomed pa h and smooths the way. Here
! the precepts OF Religion make a double impression.
and certain Il Is, that, however prudential motives
may preserve the respectable citizen from the com
mission OF an act that will place him within the reach
OF the law for the convict, for the degraded and out
cast of every kind, there is nothing that will secure
him from a life Of crime but religion
Such being the effects of our system, il must afford
pleasure TO every friend Of humanity TO know OF il,
! rapid diffusion over this country aud Europ,. And
yet there still exist ate prisots in the United Stats
10 which such occurrences the ollo ing take place:
In the Massachusetts State Prison they have lately
! buichered their warden; aud we hear that at Sing
Sing the women seized upon keeper took away his
mu.ket stripped HIN make and threw him from The
second story window, when he taken up lite ess
after which they ouly driven into their night
cells at the Ioint Of the bayonet Since which there
have been many minor distul Dances at both these
modal institutions These are well-known facts,
the leaders having boen tried and c,ndemned Were
IT only to prevent such scenes, the Governments Of
these States we hope may soon be led to adopt bet.
ter system IN dong which they would only follow
The example OF their parent institution, the Client
prison, 10 which block Of cells the Penns lvans
plan has been IN operation for three years and with
such success that they are about remodelllng the
whole prison
10 conclusion, shall only say few words on pri-
son construction. The plan universally used in
prisons on the Pennsylvania system, both in ~ main
features and IN dsilii, originated Uih myeD II was
the result OF mature study Of the subject and al
hugh experience has enabled me to make those i'm
provements IN the detail It at present possesses the
genera arrangement Is exactly the same, and the
most perfect that has yet been imagined Thu sucb
! L.aL. IL IL. IL.