The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-01-11

nd strongly suggests the inquiry
Vhether separation Of those who
AVE not become hardened in crime
nay not be possible, and a modifca-
ion Of our system of punishment
ldopted which shall have more de-
,ided and direct view to the possibil-
ty of reformation in such cases..-
)ne Of the natural results Of such
war as we have lately had, is to break
down the respect for life and proper
ty among the worst trained and least
educated classes Of young men, and
have given themselves to
The demoralizing life Of campfollow.
ers, bringing home habits which are
now carrying them into the jails and
prisons of our country. ] cannot
loubt that many such young men
might be reclaimed by proper system
Dl prison discipline; but ! have as
little doubt that association with old
and hardened offenders In the same
prison shops, fixes the habit OF crime
and The hate OF legal restraint, and
they are discharged at the cad Of
their term only TO commit fresh wick
edncss.
Other States and countries have
made experiments on this subject
which are worthy of attention. In
some of the prisons of Great Britain,
what is known as HE Irish Convict
System is reportedpto have produced
really satisfactory results. Its char.
actcristic feature is continuous in.
Struction of the prisoner in regard
To his moral relations to society, ac-
companied by a gradual testing of
his reliability, and proportlonate re-
Taxation of the rigidity of discipline
and punishment, as he proves him.
self trustworthy. The punishment
under this system Is more severe
than in ours on the first entry of the
convict into prison, but is so gradu-
ated that continued evidence of i'm
provement reduces the confinement
Mt last to merely nominal restraint.
1t is said by every respectable au.
thority that experience has proven
the reformation OF convicts under
this system, to he 80 thorough that
n certificate of discharge with a clear
record, is sufficient to secure the re-
leased prisoner employment and con-
idencc 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 convicts
with the growth of the State, and the
other reasons given by the Directors
and Officers OF our Penitentiary for
n revision of the laws as to its man.
ayement force the subject upon our
attention, it is in my judgment ad-
visable to take some immediate steps
to separate the younger convicts and
those convicted of the less heinous
classes of crime, from the other in
mates OF the State Prison, and try
upon them the effect Of q reformatory
system Of treatment. f
REFORM SCHOOL. ..'f
My confidence in the success of
such an experiment is not based
upon the results OF foreign systems
alone. Our State has tried such
system with convicts uIder the age
of sixteen, and with them 1t is no
longer an experiment, but decided
and demonstrated success. The State
Reform Farm was organized eleven
years ago upon the "family system"
adopted in some Rcformatories for
youth in Continental Europe, and
was the first attempt to introduce
the plan into this country. A large
propotion Of the youth sent there
have been convicted of penitentiary
crimes, some of them Of the gravest
character. The great aim of the
Commissioners in charge, and Of the
Elder Brothers, Jas the officers and
teachers are called) has been to re.
vive in these boys respect for the
right and love for truth and virtue.
All the discipline and instruction has
been directed to this end. While the
fact Of their deserving punishment
has not been ignored, they have been
made to feel that their crimes have
made the discipline of the school a
peccssity to them for their own good,
and u necessity for the community's
protection X cords heve been kept
of the youth discharged, and their
history traced as far as it has been
possible to do so, and II Q results have
been such as TO justify the assertion
that hundreds of boys have been
made useful and honest members Of
society, who would otherwise have
Iilled the prisons of the land and be-
longed to the class Of professional
criminals.
The success OF this system in our
own States has caused its adoption
in several of the other States of the
Union, and may be said TO have
changed the treatment Of youthful
convicts iI the country.
Holding this opinion as to the val
ne Of this Institution, you will not
wonder at my urging that it should
he fosLered and improved. The orig
inal family buildings were of the
rudest description, intended only for
temporary use; they are now needed
for workshops or other buildings
used in the industrial pursuits Of the
Farm and should be replaced by
houses similar to those erected du-
ring the past year, which, while rigi-
dly plain and simple in construction,
are well adapted to the uses required.
The Farm is in a hilly country, the