The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-01-10

may not be posgihle,and amodification
Of our sysiom Of punishinent adoptsd
which shall have amore decided and
direct view to the possibility of rafor.
nation in such eases. Que Of tho
natural results Of such a war as we
have lately had, is TO break down the
respect for life and property among
the worst trained and loast educatod
classes Of young men, and Thousands
have given themselves TO tho DONOR
alizing life Of camp followers, bring.
ing home habits which are now carry.
ing them into the iails aud prisons of
the country. capnot doubt that
many such young men might DO ro-
claimed by apropsr system Of prison
discipline; but have as little doubt
that association with old aud harden
cd offenders in the samo prissn shops,
fxcs the habit Of crime and the hate
of legal restraint and they arr dis
charged at the end Of their term only
TO commit fresh wickcdneas. ab
Other Statos and countries have
made experiments on this subject
which are worthy Of attention. In
some of the prisons OF Groat Britain,
what is known as the Irish Convict
System is reported 70 bave produced
really satisfactory results. It's char
,aeteristic feature Is continueus ina
struction of the prisoner in regard 70
his moral relations to society, acoors-
panied by gradual testing Of his
reliability, and proportionale relax
, alton Of the rigidity Of discipline and
punishment, as he proves himself
trustworthy. The punishment under
this system is more severe than in
ours on the first entry of Tie convict
into the prison, but is so graduated
that continued evidence Of imprison-
mont reduces the confinement at last
to merely nominal restraint. II is
said by very respectable authority
that experience has proven the refnr-
anation ofoonyiets upder this system,
20 bo so thorough that a certificate of
discharge with clear record, is sufi-
cieut TO secure the released prisoner
employment and confidence without
difficulty.
Without fully vouching for this or
any other system which is only known
to me through printed reports and
books, feel Justified in saying, that
inasmuch as the increase Of conyicts
with the growth Of the State, and tho
other reasons given By the Directors
and officers Of our Pcnitontiary for
revision Of the laws as to its manage
ment, force the subject upon our at
tention,it is, in my Judgment advisa-
Bile to take some immediate steps to
separate tho younger convicts and
those convicted Of the less heinons
, GLASSES OF crime, from the other in
makes OF fha Stafee D,.;sA4t ,s-1 i.-.-
J u ron them the effect Of feformatory
} system Of treatment. y /"
REFORM SCHOOL. a..-
My confidence in the success Of
, such an experiment is notbased upon
the results of foreign systems alone.
|, Our State has tried such system
with .convicts under the age Of l6 and
, with them il Is no, longer an expert
, ment, but a decided and demonstrated
success. The State Reform Farm was
organized II yeas ago upon the '..fam-
ny system adopted in some Reform
atories for youth, in Continental Eu-
rope, and was the first .attompt to in
troduce the plan Into this country.r-
( A large proportion Of the youth sent
Q there have been convicted Of poniten-
' tiary crimes, some of them of the
gravest character. ~
Q The greataim Of the commissioner
: in charge, and Of tho, Elder Brothers,
I as the officers and teachers are called
has been toreyiye in these boys above
for the right and love fortruth ant
virtue. All the discipline aud in
3 struction has been directed to thil
y end. While the fact Of their desery
l. ing punishment has not been ignored
"a they have been made to feel that
u, their crimes have made the disciplini
ca of the school necessity to them ioi
ls their own good, and a necessary fol
= the community . protection. Records
~ have been keptof heyouth discharged
g and their history traced as far as j
has been possible to do SO, and th'
20 results have been such as to justif,
he the assertion that hundreds Of boy
ed have been made useful and homes
n lhembers Of society, who would 9th
'is wise have filled the prisons of th'
ng land aud belonged TO the class 0
!. professional criminals. a,,,su
~ The SUCCESS Of this system in on
~ Lown State has eaused.its adoptioni i
~ = seyeralof the other States Of the Un
40 a. lion, aud nay be ispid 10 have change
~ the treatment Of youthful coaViets a
J the country. Az hA4 s}es
by e Holiing this opinion as 70 tho galu
offof this institution, youwill not wor
rel der ut my urging that it should t
oflfosterod and Improved. The origin
Ter al family buildings we're Of the rnde'
,se description, intended only for tempo
ng rary use; they are needed for wcrl
re- 5ishops or other buildiuga NJ Il
aid industrial pursuits OF tAc iarsn, an
val should be replaced by houses simili
inc to those erected during aho past yea
arr which, while dly-plaln aad snip
Id T, lin construction, are well adapted 4
ex, the uses required. Tho farm is II
ed, Ihilly country; thu soil is very ligl
to and suitable only = fruit aud hort
lies culture. There are both adyanteg
Of flaad disadvantages in thisi hut 2
the own opinion, after visiting 80 aehr'
not Is thnt greater vcfiosy Of lap0x
I, Is needed, aud that since y ip fenson
ON hly certain that a pQfilon p Z tla ep
line will live ia cities OF togna Hller fns
ro-- discharge, mechaaieal Trades ehou
al bo taught 10 those who haye netul