New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-01-02
Prison. and Prison pi.cip,i,..

Nh. EDITOR Ny attention was painfully alb
sorbei BY contemplation Of the fscs ELECTED a; the re-
cent Annversary OF the Prison Association u our city
Can e Be possible that the officers Of Prisons the social
ed places Of reformation bu; rather aens Of pollution
be isnorsn Of the horrible state Of things therein 80
How any criminal be reformed until some change IL
effected IN the system Of uansseutn nj in our prisons
OF what sysl Is il 10 immare a man who prompted BY
the terrible cravings Of upsssfed hunger and CALLING
poverty his appropriated hundredh part Of the sub
stance If those ENJOYING comp.tencc or even rolling
Ia siuence % the keeping Of soul and body ogeihor
ask. what good possibly resut-under the present
system Of thngs-from locking for 80 days months
together in the losthsome cells Of our City Prisons
b4ackwc.ls msn. woman or child who took the only
apparent me- an. ia their power 10 prevent starvston
Nhho speaking OF Prisons more particularly, let me
cal your attention, Sir, to the horrible state OF our
lonlo- a. u u most apty termed. Indeed m the
slve walls Of that stl massive pile c0mpar
mcnis denomnsifd cells In which day after dsy-nay
almost houriy-are immuIed beings made IN the image
OF their uod-human beings Ike oursolves-who ere
doomed b swesr Ia summer and frcoxa n Winter amid
the compsnionshp 0i the most disgusting vcfmn, the
rsnk.si, hhest hshtai0n and. too often that of beiu
stl more deprayei thsu themselves
And this brings % another point I, stated ~
the recent meeting % which have alluded that young
children for the crime OF stealing perhaps two shngs
wortn locked for period Of time Ia the
with the ahani0nei-with those gathered from the
Points and like haunts Of niamy-who consider II q
great apparently On corrupt the youthful minds
that thus come under their banciu Misunderstanding
them the ar Of successful larceny up through an 10 va
rous dc grecs. Let me relate little incident that may
be hat inteFss told athe anniversary Of
the Society above mentioned which looking only % the
Moderation u the condition Of the unfortunate and the
elevation of the criminal a. OH standard Of honesty see Is
out examples upon which 20 build rs arguments Of the
effects OF encucy upon the minds Of the errng child
eleven years arrested aud convicted ot stealing
purse. Gentleman, conversing with her alter her
tence asked where she DID obtain that purse. She
Piled she had found 10 middle Of a room but finally
cou sscd che al ahcn 10 from box table n that
room. THIS, perhaps her trst offence. was that for
which che was 10 keep company with abandoned
Villains % be- farther instructed IN the mysteries of
hieyng and t. be aiioIward turned of % the cold
world With the stamp oi Cain on her hrOw-whcn. In
stead Of severity kindness instead of locks bars and
bolts and vile compsnionshp gentle exhortauon 10 a
b, tier life might have led her better OF time and
have saved the world the burden OF 80 much more
Rrctchedness-
But pardon me Sir. for the length to which have ex
tended these fCw NJ digested thoughts My interest IN
the subsct led into tor getulness of the bounds
prudence but il not the duty OF Christian commu-
nifty ~ take this matter Of Prisons hand during the
coming year and to that the greatly needed reform
is soon effected In 4Hi9a there u strength.
Respectfully AN
Vac YORK. January 1. ls47.