Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-06-29
For he Standara.

II
Ma. lloLprs = dceasiotlalIy hear Of Pe7,is1
aOfass BO s. 6ssas sd Nay side There gp q.
many hopeful hearts yetlslhe good old
in which there is a hope ihak RentenfIalg viii be
built. The Institution is wanted as an economical
measure. II is also wanted as place Of terror "a
evil doers, also place or means Of punishfng more
ceN NANNY a certain class of ottensss
worm carolina has not worse Williams than
other Slates-in fact her citzens are, as general
thing, better law abiding people than many other
communities owing principally TO tho agricultural
employment OF her masses. The williams of The old
Williams Of other States
Fae principal improvement be looked for in such
cases should In my opinion be financially. can
not from my experience believe in a prison re-
form In morals 1t you see good citizen after pri-
son discipline, my word for it he was on the whole
very good citizen before, and his crime was more
a fully than crime. He was led into some trivial
error only.
The reasons for State Prison are few and good.
us main object is place of punishment, school
o! reform, fdrths than regular habits, free from the
vices OF IntemDerance and vicious society would ma
tursiiy lead 1t should be work house in fact-a
place OF severe, unmgated slavery and servitude in
all lis horrors. No inducemeni should be held out
TO hall starved, i'll fed vagabond idler get there
10 satisfy the wants of nature. The only other
feature should be TO make The punishment profitable
to the State.
we hear from quarter any great objection to a
FenltentlarV except its This objection is not
goon. Inc cost can be made source of profit, if
we allow no false theories of reform interfere with
lis operation. Make it, it should be. work honse,
ana not let US hear OF man going there second,
mira and fourth time. Let the rigors of the place
be sufficient inducement to to terrify man from
second visit TO its walls. The terms of punishm ent
ought to prevent second offence against the laws
rigorous prison discipline will do than all your
humane miidness to terrfy a transgressor. Let the
way of the ransgressor be hard in earnest, if you
wish to reform him.
1t our Legislature sill not erect State Prison for
the State, let of incorporation be passed to
oiViduais TO bdlld prison and work the fellows
der proper restrictions. The charter should be very
favorable to capitalists, and at the time allow
inc State to become owner Of the property by paying
IAN equivalent. l can good reason against
allowing convict fellows TO be worked by company
Tor proht Individual interest would compel hard
snip enough, and the effect throughout the State
would be to restrain men from crime, knowing that
capitalists would be making money from their seryi-
tude. his plan of course would not be profitable
to the State, but The expense of the affair could be
tested and the State could enjoy the advantages of
prison except the profits of labor.
1t this plan cannot be adopted, let the Legislature
pass law TO work the con~icts in the county iails
Many could be worked there profitably, and men
might be hired out 10 work with ball and chain and
returned every night 10 the walls of the prison. If
they could not be hired out tie Sheriff could work
them on the streets of coast towns under proper and
suitable laws. Prison confinement is severe any way
but to make it salutary it should be severer than We
now have il.
l hope this subject will be ag,ated in some form
before the next State elections. One of the three
forms let us have-a Charter, Prison By the State,
or Jail Discipline. Yours, &c. NJ.