New-York tribune., 1867-06-18
" restraint Even in that useful publication

restraint" Even in that useful publication
the American Cyclopodia, though much valua-
BILE information rs contained in the article
Prison, as 20 the proper construction and vent
ilation of the buildings, as to the relative adj
vsntages OF the congregate and the separate
systems, as to the necessity for cleanliness,
good order and humane treatment, there is not
word 10 tho effect that prisons ought to be
schools OF reform There is no advance bo-
yond what Cicero said two thousand years ago,
that prison should be place not OF punish
ment but of restraint.
Our attention has been more particularly
called to this subject at the present time, be-
cause of some recent facts disclosed in reports
on our prisons and prison discipline. The war
Of the Rebellion, which has done so much to
regenerate our country. has given us some re-
markable figures in the statistics OF crime.
Even during tho war with Mexico it had been
observed that tho number of convicted Grim
inals diminished while it lasted, and increased
after its close The same results have followed
the late contest, but in a much more marked
manner.
The nverage number of males confined in
Sing Sing were I'm the year 1861, 1880; in the
year 1862. Lat; in the year 1868, 800; in the
year 1854, 1885, in the year 1855, GS9. In five
years the numbers had diminished nearly one
half But what was tho result when the war
ceaseds We have an item in regard to 1t IN.
the Report of the New-York Prison AssOcia-
sion for 1866: con the closing Of the war tho
"numbor of prisoners began to increase, and
Increased so rapidly that in six months the
"number of commitments was three times as
Il II h.I L.. dtaVtp .ho
"same months of the previous year"
But this is partial clue only TO the entire
| truth A recent report of the Inspector of the
Eastern Pcnitentiary Of Pennsylvania informs
US that out of 334 c0nvicts committed in 1866,
no less than 246, or seventy per cent, had served
in the army. From tho report for 1896 Of the
Massachusetts State Prison, we have similar
result, the whole number Of commitments for
the year having been 24Y, of whom 171-Or very
nearly seventy per cOnt--had been soldiers
What startling fact is this Seven out OF
every ten of the cOnvicts in these two large
establishments wero among the defenders OF
their country when her very existence was inn
pered. The New-York Report above referred
10 gives us hint as to how this has occurred.
! IL says: "The convictions in the City of New
"Ycrk Jor grimes of ViOlencc were GA in 1864
"and 0a5 in 1861 This was an increase of
about sixty per cent
There IA subject for deep reflection In all
! this IL affords evidence. in the first place, of
tho dcmoralizing effects of war. The vast good
tho late war has done has been purchased at
expense of much evil Tho men who rsked
| their lives that the national existence might
be preserved were exposed. in so doing, TO
temptations which some OF chem were unable
! to resist. II the records Of the two prisons
! referred TO afford fair average Of tho gem
eraI results, two-thirds of those mon whose
fate will loo influenced by our legislation on
prison discipline arc persons TO whom,
be their errors and crimes what they
will, tho nation owes debt of gratitude
still Some of them, doubtless, were lawlcss
characters before they entered the army. Others
may have owed their lawlcssness to the daily
scenes Of violence which war presents As TO
these last. ought not we who benefited by the
war to do our best toward correction OF the eyll
| influence IL produced on thcmS If IL be duty
| incumbent upon VA, AZ we would ciylize society,
I 20 substitute for prisons OF nero restraint, TO
formaLOrios for criminals. is it not doubly our
duty 10 DO this when thereby we may effect
the redemption Of these men who suffered iii
mind and morals that wo might live ia pros
perty and peacef
We shall rccur 10 the subject Of prison mnn-
agoment more in detail. in future number.