Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-02-19
PRISON DISCIPLINE AND THE NORTH AMERI-
CAN REVIEW.

PRISON DISCIPLINE AND THE NORTH AMERI-
CAN REVIEW
The Hon. Mr.. GRAY, of Boston, has written
work on Prison Discipline in America, conceived
in the spirit OF perfect fairness and mpartiay, and
executed with great ability, which is reviewed in
the January number Of the North American Review
by the distinguished editor Of that periodical. The
extracts which follow are from that article, and are
especially worthy the attention of every man who
takes an interest in the subject of prison reforms
subject closely connected with the cause Of advanc-
ing civilization:
"We have finished examination the separate system
Of prison discipline, has been administered in this coun-
try, and have doubt that readers will adopt the con-
cluson which the evidence has brought ushat is nhu-
and unjust enormously expensive and penicious
ciety nasmuch It creates each year fearful
insanity the effects Of which, owing to the tendency of this
disease to hereditary ransnsson cannot fail to be felt and
deplored for many generations We almost afraid
innate the amount Of the evil it has already caused The facts
presented certainly 60 far show that the rate Of mortality in
the prison Philadelphia is twice great in the
nifty large in the prison Charestown But adopt the
lowest possible hypothesis; suppose that only one-third in
stead of onehal Of the deaths in the former prison a
butabe the system which is there pracise and what fol-
lows The table the nineteenth page Of the Eighteenth
Annual Report Of that prison shows that among the convcts
there during the seventeen preceding the close Of 1885,
there hundred and eghysx deaths, for onethd
Of which the separate system accountable other words
this system, in single prison, within seventeen years. has
destroyed sxywo lives Again, the facts prove that the rate
OF insanity there both for the whites and the blacks is atleast
twenty times great should be and the table have
given page 6 shows that hundred and nine persons
have become insane in the prison in nine years The con-
cluson of the whole matter is them that the separate system
single prison, since 1890, has caused sirtoo deaths
and has pen hundred persons to insanity. Ho,c
many, vithn the period hare had their constitutions
ruined by it, haze been reduced to virtual Jecity and
chiiaishaess
"These results appalling that shall be heartily
glad il any person should succeed scedtng evidence
pointing out in the calculations which they
founded. But this cannot be done the facts proved
far as human testimony prove any thing After this
posure OF its awful consequences believe that the
separate system will be allowed continue practice even in
Pennsylvania Better that the walls all the prisons in that
State should be demolished and the doors Of every criminal
court be closed than that this outrage upon humanity and
justice should any longer be tolerated Better that society
should suffer from general saturnaa of crime, than attempt
repress by such inhuman IF the authors and
early advocates of the plan in Phiadephawhose motives
far from questioning whose benevoence of heart and
dsnteested zeal acknowledge and delight honorae
far blinded by the pride of opinion by fondness their
invenon their darling scheme of prison discipline to con-
of Pennsylvania to the subject As the economical aspect
question: sorry 10 say, thought to receive
tenton in Legislative assemblies than any other the
awgives of Pennsylvania if the State willing continue
pay twenty thousand dollars year for the sole purpose of
keeping up this complex prison machinery, repudated almost
every where else in the United States with its product
of insanity, imbccily, and death Will they any longer up
hold the principle of putting to death every thirty five
and of driving madness every nineteen of those whom
the nd
for limited period
The Boston Prison Discipline Society has beenmuch blamed
by few persons because has long and scnuousy opposed
the adoption Of the separate sysemn this country The
dvuged afford ample justification of its course, and
fully vindcate the Judgment discretion, and humanity Of its
excellent secretary, Mr. Louis Dwight whom, than
any other individual the great reforms which have been
made in American prisons during the last quarter of century
to be attributed Great his services have been in caus
ing the almost universal adoption OF the plan of social labor by
day and separate confinement by night and in watching
its administration still credit is due him for his saga
city in detecting early period the fatal tendencies Of the
Pennsylvania SYSTEM and for his successful exerons con-
filming its mischievous effects almost entirely the State in
which had its origin Add together the prison population in
fifteen twenty Of the most populous States in this Union,
and apply the aggregate the ratios of mortality insanity
which have to be produced in the prison Phade
pha and may then have idea Of the probable
of the evil which would have resulted from the general adop-
ton of the separate system in this country and which he
than any other person. has efficiently abored prevent
All honor to him and the society which he represents for
their early and continued opposition to the system To ask
have don that the society should take neutral po-
son with reference to the rival plans Of prison reform, and
should fully forth whatever might be alleged in favor
either is to demand that it should make compromise with
insanity and death. We might well ask a temperance
cieiy to advocate the cause Of drunkenness"