Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-09-25
HOUSE OLE CORRECTION.

ress to procure the establishment of
House OF Correction in Windsor County.
We are glad to see it. 1t is evidently
a movement, which, Improperly guided
will result in much benefit to commune
ty. ...
1t appears that at the last annual March
meeting of the town of Windsor Messers.
Price, Robbins and Hammond, were "a
pointed committee to confer with the
Public Authorities of the towns of the
county on the subject of a House of
Correction. That committee recently is
sued circular giving in brief their views
on the subject, and soliciting a confer
ence Of the Public Authorities at this place
on Friday last, We understand the at
tendance at the meeting was respectfully
full The proceedings of the meeting are
given in another place.
Perhaps we cannot better present the
considerations which show the want of
such an institution, than by laying before
our readers an extract from the circular
referred to. ~
"lt is but proper, that as preliminary
to any inquiry, the undersigned should
lay before YOUR brief, the considerations
which have induced the town of Windsor
to move in this matter. 1t is
To put under proper restraint and dis
cipine the idle and the vicious
To avoid the expense and bad effects Of
imprisonment in the common jail-and
To better regulate our Poor Houses by
removing therefrom all except those, who,
because of age, or infrmty, are unable
to earn their support.
BY an examination of our Statute laws
it will be fonnd, that very large mum,
Der of offences are made punishable eth
er by Imprisonment in the common jail I'M
I'll the sentence Of the court is complied
with.
Now, punishment in the common Jail
would be subject to very strong objections,
some Of which we will enumerate:
l. 1t is not in its nature calculated to
produce the desired effect upon the Of
fender. Placing the offender only on a
level with the unfortunate debtor, it does
not detr from crime; and, excluding him
from the salulary effects ofmoros. feel.
ing, it docs mol produce reformation.
Q. Not required to do anything for his
own support, The punishment of the Grim
inal, IN this way, IS only burden to So
ciety.-Society is thus subject TO douJle
burden, that of the crime aud also that oil
its Punishment.
8. Its operation in this latter respect
tcnds to prercnt the punishment Of III,
criminal. Rather than to incur the ex-
pense of his conviction and Imprisonment,
society often prefers to permit the Grim
inal 20 escape punishment This is very FIRE
quently true in cases where the fine goesto
the town The prosecuting officer does n,
see proper to institute the proper inquiries
or, the offender having been committed
for want of ability TO pay his fine, the
town authorities, at an early date end tC
prevent further expense in the way of hi.
support, relinquiSh the fine and permit
him to 60 a, large. la consequence
large numbers, preying upon society il
the way of Pe'ty larceny, or in'errup'ine
its peace and harmony by drunken rio
in our streets, are found in our midst.
That the establishment Of a House o
Correction is necessessarv to the propel
regulation of our Poor Houses, seems tc
be true from the consideration, that by
law and in practice the Poor House is
made the recipient not only Of fit subjects
of charity, but also of those who are re.
ducedto want idIeness and vice. The
Poor House should be supported exclu-
sively for such, as, because of age or un.
avoidable misfortune, are unable to sup.
port themselves, A generous community
would regard such as fit objects of a lib.
eral charity, The simple wants of such
can be easily and cheaply supplied bv
each town. But where the yirtuous and
the vicious, the deserving and The I'M
deserving, the orderly and the disorderly
are crowded into the same receptacle, it
is impossible in the treatment of the in
mates to make any such distinction as is
necessary for the comfort Of The one class
or the proper discipline of the other. Our
Poor Houses, as at present regulated are
at once Aims Houses and Houses of
Correction, while from the very nature OF
the case, they cannot answer the purpose
of the one or the other. Furthermore,