The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-01-11

been little less than in the preceding year
! but they still exceed the receipts from the
labor of the conviots by the sum Of Sl l6,239
S6. This is owing TO the fact that tue OK.
listing contracts for the labor of the pris.
oners were. under tho law, nearly all made
when the value Of labor was much lower
than it now u.s.. aud, therefore, while the
Penitentiary has the increased cost of food
and clothing to meet, it has not the balanc-
ing advantage of the increased price OF labor,
Several improvements are urged by the
Directors aud Warden as being Of manifest
necessity. Among these are steam engine,
for the purpose of grinding brsad,stulfs,
throwing water in case of fire, pumping
water for use in the corridors aud cells
! washing clothes, SC. This appears TO be q
| real necessity, aud in the end would prove
a zeal economy. Tho removal of tho old
and nearly useless engine house, aud the
substitution of larger and somewhat diff
! ierent building, is also recommended, Uu.|
! der existing laws the Chaplain is required,
in addition TO his otaer duties, to keep
records and furnish statistics concerning
| the prison. This kind of labor requires an
! Office, which the construction of the build
! ing has not provided, aud no disposable
room is at his command. The change re-
CONNIE n1ed in reference to the engine hors'
might be made to include provision for the
Chaplain.
The reports Of the last named officer
show that more than threefourths of the
convicts are under thirty years old, and in
fact, large majority Of them are young
men who have very recently come of age.
The number of youthful first. bffenSe"
co,v,cts is unusually large, aud strongly
suggests the inquiry whether separa-
ton of those who have not become hardened
in crime may not be possible, and modi
cation of our system of punishment adopted
which shall havoc more decided and direct
view to the possibility of reformation in
such cases. One of the natural results of
such war as we have lately had, is to
! break down the respect for life aud prop.
erty among the worst trained and least edu
Gated class OF young men, and thousands
have given themselves 10 the demoralizing
life of camp.followers, bringing home habits
/ that are now carrying them into the jails
and prisons of the country. cannot doubt
but that many such young men might be
reclaimed by a proper system of 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 restraints and
they are discharged at tho end OF their term
only to commit fresh wickedness
| Othtr States aud countries have made eX
periments on this subject which are worthy
of attention. In some of the prisons OF
Great Britain, what is Known as the Irish
| Convict System is reported to have pro-
duced really satisfactory results. It's char
acteristic feature is continuous instruction
t. the prisoner IN regard to his moral rela.
tions to society, accompanied by gradual
testing ofchis reliability, and proportionate
relaxation of the rigidity of discipline and
punishment, as he. proves himself trust.
worthy, The punishment under this syS-
tenn is more severe than in ours on the first
entry of the convict into the prison, but is
so graduated that continued evidence of I'm.
provement reduces the confinement at last
to mere nominal restraint. 1t is said by IA
very respectable authority that experience
has proven the reformation of conVicls un.
der this system, to be so thorough that a
certificate of discharge with clear record,
is sufficient to SECURE the released prisoners
employment and confidence without diff
Guilty. "AL 'r.,,l
Without fully vouching for this or any
other system which is only Known to,
mo through printed reports and books, i
feel justified in saying, that, inasmuch as
the increase of chnvicts with the growth
| the Directors and Officers Of our Peniten.
tiary for revision of the laws as to its
management, force the subject upon our at,
tenioIL it is in my Judgment advisable
to take some immediate steps to separate
! the younger convcts and those convicted
of the less heinous classes of crime, from
the other inmates of the State Prison and
try upon Them the effect of a relormat0ry
system of treatment.
REFORM SCHOOL. ifo. t.1
| My.con6dence in the success Of such oh
experiment is not based upon the results Of
! foreign systems alone. Onr State has tried
such system with convicts under the age
OF sixteen, and with themit is no longer an
experiment, bnt decided and demoustrat-
| ed success The State Reform Farm was
organiZeL eleven years ago upon the" fam,
| lily system" adopted in some Reformatories
for youth in Continental Europe, and was
the first attempt to introduce the uplan g in
this country. A large portion of the youth
sent there have been convicted Of Peuiten-
tiary crimes, some of them of the gravest
character. The great aim of the Commits
sioner in charge, and of the Elder Brothers,
las the officers and teachers are called), las
been to revive inrthose boys respect for
the right and a love for truth aud virtue.
All ln6 ulbClplluo anu inSHNCllOH nave
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 a
school a necessity to them for their own
good, aud necessity for the eomnunity's
protection. Records have been kept of the
youth discharged and their. history traced
- far as it has been possible to do so, and
the 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 filled the pris-
Ons of the land and belonged 10 a class Of
professional criminals.
The success of this system in our own
State has caused its adoption in several of
the other Statesdf the Uuion, and may be
said to have changed the treatment OF
youthful convicts in the county.
Holding this opinion as TO the value OF
this Institution, you viii not wonder at my
urging that II should be fostere1 aud ion.
proved. The original family buildings
were Of the rudcst description, iiilelded
ouly for temporary use they are now Eeed.
ed for workshops, or other buildings used
in the industrial pursuits Of the Farm, and
should he replaced by houses similar 10
Those erected during the past year, which
while rigidly plain and simplein eonstruc-
ton, are well adapted for the uses required
The Farm is in a hilly country the soil is
very light and suitable orly for fruit and
horticulture, There are both advantages
aud disadvantages in this but my own
opinion after visiting the School is that
l.l, l., a Al a