Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-08
HEATH House, STAPLEroN,
NEAR BRISTOL, ENGLAND
July, 1857.
QUERIES.

Juy, 1901.
QUERIES.
l. 1t being understood that some of the Prisons
in the United States Of America are selfsupport-
ing, to the extent at least of defraying all current
expenses, viz, food, clothing, medicine. salaries of
officers, repairs, &C., and that in the Western
States there are Gaols which, after defraying these
expenses, return an annual profit to the respective
Treasures, you are requested to furnish infOrma-
as to these two classes, with as much of par
ticulary as you conveniently can.
2. 1t is also understood that in the Northern
Atlantic States, the Prisons are not, as a general
rule, selfsupporting, Be pleased to indicate the
States in which Prisons are not usually selfsupport-
ing and the reasons why they are more costly than
those of the Western States?
4. Does the difference in the wages of labor
between England aud the United States suggest
itself to you as an insuperable difficulty in the
way Of making our Goals selfsupporting? Or
does any other reason occur to your mind unfavor-
able to such an undertaking?
4. l, is understood that in some Prisons the la
Dor of the convicts is hired to contractors, each
contractor selecting the prisoners conversant with
his own trade. Is this plan shown by experience
s @' oYS I NS"NS VI bhO
Prison ? Is there any difficulty in prevnting a
conflict of authority or influence between the OIL
GERS of the Prison who have charge of the govern
ment and training of the prisoners, on the ono
hand. and the contractors who have control over
the convicts during the hours of labor, on the
other
5. Is there any practical danger in self.support-
ing Goals Of the prisoners being stimulated, either
H. ro,n e -
gences, to labour beyond their strength, and thus
permanently to injurc their health ?-or of their
being led into practices inconsistent with good
moral discipline?
6. VIII you state what are the sources of this
danger, s%upposing it to exist, and what means you
would suggest for avoiding it?
7. The test of q successful plan of training in
Gaol being the good conduct of prisoners after
their discharge, what has been your experience
as to the effect of the discipline in the best self
supporting Prisons In the best non seifsup-
= porting Prisons?
e 8. With regard to ~Reformatory treatment, can
it be, in your opinion, carried on successfully in
the absence of encouragement to industry and
y good conduct?
!, 9. Are you aware of any encouragement at all
comparable in its effects on the mind of "a
{ prisoner, with the hope of liberty as the conse-
quence of well doing.
10. As, however, the hope of liberty mnst at
first be that of a remote benefit, would you further
. encourage The prisoner by rewarding ind Us try and
. good conduct while in prison with increase of COM
forts and relaxation Of restraints, so as to enable
a him to make his term of confinement a series of
: advances towards the position of a we'll conduct
n ed man at large
II ii. Has it occurred to you to observe that the
discharge of u prisoner is Immediately followed
a by a period of sore trial to his better principles
and reformed habits.
II. Have you had an opportunity of observing
the effect of institutions like those on the cent?
nent of Europe for the patronage and guardian
= ship of discharged prisoners? Be pleased to
1t state your opinion as to their utility.
Is. The success of Thomas Wright of Manches.
lie ter. and other individuals, who without either the
= aid or the restraints of an association, have rem.
n dered great services to discharged prisoners in
If procuring employment for them, in treating them
e with sympathy, and extending over them a watch
!" full supervision, seems to suggest the value of such
II labors in addition to those of the Patronage So.
i. cieties. Your opinion is desired on this point
IA. Does it appear to you that the discharged
prisoner would be in danger of relapse if, by al
lowing him a qualified liberty before he was. dis
charged, the great change from Imprisonment t.
perfect freedom could not be made more gradual
than it now is? Would such discipline both exer
else and test his powers of selfgovernment?
i is. Are you of opinion that under judicioui
}, arrangements so much confidence might be plac.
ed in prisoners during the latter stages eff theiI
$ training, as that they might be employed without.
y side the Prison walls, returning to the Prison, or
other appointed receptacle, at the close of theil
daily labor?
l6. Do your observation and experience lead
Y you to put faith in the deterrent consequences oil
punishment as Of themselves sufficient for the re
preston of crime?
10 II. State, if you please, its effects, according
il to your view, rs regards the individual punish
d. ment in preventing the fall Of others.
Is, Having enjoyed great opportunities of oh
IA serving the process of ~refCrmatory treatmen
ne of various kinds, are you of opinion that i
can never be carried on with success expec
:, at the cost Of considerable suffering TO the pris
* oner, even although no pain should everbe I'D
m ministered to him beyond that strictly ;ncidenta
-Ito ,aFo.r,afor ~ disoip1ina9