Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-10


The Rev. James NJ. Buckley has written
4 letter to Governor Grape, of Michigan,
touching the confinement of lunatics in
the State Prison, which is of much inter
est and significance. He says that there
are a number of persons at present con-
fined in the Michigan States prison
or crime, who have become in
sane since they were imprisoned.
Among them is one, a German named
Kinds, sentenced to prison for seven
years, whose term expired, but who is dan
gerousIy insane, and is still confined, and
as he is not q resident of Michigan, can
not under the law be sent to any Of its
charitable institutions. He remains 81
a state Of entire n~akedness, traversiHg his
cell day and night, bowling like a wild
beast There are four other insane men
in the penitentiary, one Of whom has the
pleasant habit of incesssntly shouting
1.-THE Judgment day is passed there is
no more wosidi' The Rev. Mr.. Buckley
thinks that beside these recognized luna
tics there are at least thirty persons con-
fined in the prison who should be under
treatment for insanity. He enumerates
the following among the causes for insan-
ty in the prison
81. Solitude. 2. Enforced silence for
MONTH and years together. 3. 4 low. state
of bodily health produced by various causes.
4. MOnotOny. 5. Remorse. G. In the case
of solitary confinement want Of light and
pure air. :. Certain ~licentious practices TO
which prisoners are liable S. Hopelessness.
1t is only the hope to escape or pardon that
saves all sentenced for life from becoming
insane. Aud it has been observed that when
that hope is quenched, if dementia from
other causes has not superveued, insanity
must commence. y. The feeling Of desper-
alton engendered in some minds by shack
les which cannot be shaken off. by bolts.
bars 4 dungeons, whose hateful restraints
are insuperable and the Undesirable pris-
on air and gloom often leads TO acute
mania. 10. But the chief mental cause Of
insanity, in prisons and out Of them, is re-
verie. or s~urrendering the operation of the
mind TO the control of chance or the laws Of
association and suggestion, while the will
and the Judgment are inactive"
In dealing with this question the writer
frankly confesses hat the law and not the
officers are to blame for prison arrange-
ments which make ~lunatics out of men
and then keep them in prison, side by
side with other criminals, to drive them
crazy with their howlings. He thinks
that these men should not be placed in the
state lunatic asylum, as that would lower
the character Of 4 charitable institution
by giving it the tone of the penitentiary.
He suggests that a place for the insane
should be arranged in connection with
the prison, which should be at once a
place of confinement and of cure. Such
an institution, if established, would meet
the class of cases so frequent nowadays,
in which Insanity is sought to be estsb-
lished as q defense against conviction for
admitted crime. In these cases, as Mr.
Buckley seBsibly urges, insanity and re-
sponsibility may coexist-in other words
while there may be a certain degree
Of insanity, yet the prisoner may be
morally guilty of crime. Such cases could
but be met by a confinement like that sug
gested- MI. Buekley's letter Is a very
sensible one, and its hints may be studied
with profit elsewhere than in Michigan
The Chicago Republican has passed into
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