The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-04-25
PenitentiarY.

Having witnessed the evil workings of our
mode Of furnishing criminals, we have been led
to believe that we should adopt a different one.
If none better can be devised, then give US
pententiary.
The object Of human punishment is said to
be to prevent crime and reform the criminal.
The guilty are punished to bring about their
own reform, and to deter others from the vic
lation of the law by teaching them that they
will meet with the same fate by its non.obser.
vance. But does our common mode Of imprs-
onment have the least tendency to reformation
among the inmates of the Jail? All expert.
ence and observation give the answer, No.
What criminal, stained with the blackness Of
guilt, has ever been ushered into Jail who came
out with the least intention Of doing better for
the future? We do not claim that confinement
in penitentiary would have this reforming in
huence, yet under proper administration,
there is no doubt but that something in this
way ght be effected
When a convict is put in JAIL he first by
some means procures bottle of whiskey, aud
if he has companions you will SOON have
drunken riot. And there is no possible way of
preventing his procuring this antdote of grief,
or rather riot making peace destroying fluid.
He always has.some friend who will contrive
to get it to him by some trick or other in spite
Of the vigilance of Jailors TO preYent it. So
that to confne man in Jail where he is surs
munded by his clay who would clandestiney
furnish him with anything he calls for, has
about as much effect towards reforming him as
to lock him in grog shop with permission to
drink as much of the wines therein as he might
choose.
The advantage of Penitentiary is that you
can cor'pel the inmate to work and pay ex.
eenses. AS it is now, they are housed up with.
out anything to do, and the State pays for their
pting. This is rather Godsend to some cul.
prits, destitute Of all that is calculated to make
life tolerable, than punishment.
We would not abolish capital punishment
for we believe theIe are crimes OF such great
enormity that cannot be properly punished ex
'cept by death, such as cold bIooded murder.
The penalty affixed to three fourths Of the
crimes Of our State, is fine and imprisonment;
to some few public whipping is attached. As
about two thirds of the criminals Of our State
are penniless, unable to pay a farthing towards
pecunary fine, So that part Of the penalty
imposing fine on them, is perfect nulity-
amounts to nothing, III fact it is no punishment
ut all. Whereas, it we had a penitentary, we
could remove the pccunary fine and increase
the term of imprisonment, tLas in all cases
make the penalty corrc>p"nd to the crime
We have no statistics OF similar institutions be-
fore US, but let us proceed upon suppositi"n to
ascertain whether or not it would be matter
of economy upon the part of thrState. Sup
posing that the building would cost Sl00,0OD,
which no doubt is small compared with similar
buildings h4. Ts &Jt H1 hH'd NJ S Sn sqshe
closing four or five acres for the purpose of the
institution. The annual interest on that amount
would he $1,000.
Then, on the other hand, suppose that we
have an average of 100 cu prits in our jas
through the year. The board Of these at 81 II
cents perdem would amount t" Sl3,6s2, which
exceeds by -G,GS2, the annual interest on the
cost of The building. Then it might he said
that we would have to furnish officers for the
institution at Il considerable cost, but we meet
that objection by si! hlg that it would he worse
than absurd to say, that the proceeds or profits
arising from the labor of the inmates, would
not furnish al ample fund for detrayng all the
necessary expenses of the institution.
AJJepiNe Baaner