New-York tribune., 1870-10-19
PRISON REFORM CONGRESS

Mr. Byers strongly urged the necessity for such prisons
and insisted that they should be under state control
with view 10 meeting the demands or all sections OF the
state %th ye% asO 70 alt,c ne Gr OF
methods Of administration and measures OF dscpnnej
and from the fact that the are m
the people OF districts would be fatal o the iu success
OF the scheme Mr. Byers replied 70 the ooect%On % tnai
patronage, and make them liable to partisan abuse by
remedH tae Se political m Which now s our prison
system. +, t
zatioD discipline OF such PRISONS with view TO the
proper treatment OF this class OF offenders The maxi
In d the eo of and
nance) the number In each could scarcely pe ess th
U not bs Sore St than &c., lie though, that the
might proHtaby embrace large farm, az agricultural
employment ia among the best OF occupations both for
sanitary and refornatory purposes Contracts for
work might be made but contracts for workmen never
three grades The first grade should be for prisoners
having short sentences or for an ntaory stage 10 n
He would have three classes, with separate shops
gregated for labor but separated at hgha % dS ' rs
grade should partake OF more socla character; ihe
Imprisonment here should be little more thah moral
HUMANITY IN PRISON TREATMENT
paper by Mr.. Vim. Tallaek Secretary OF the Howard
Association, London, on "Humanity In Prison Ireat
ment" was read by DR.. Wines. The writer says that
there opposite extremes In prison management,
each mschevous Wiz Undue rgor and excessive indul-
eence Deterrene6 and reformation were not combined
as much as they should be- Reformation should oe e
primary aim, but deterrence must not be ignored t ne
feared that In America there coming 10 De 700 l
regard TO the demands OF social justice while Ia fgaa
the tendency toward undue severity lie woud Jt
depreciate British Institutions but there was sensn
OF ess favored casses ana even III
spirit OF ferocity kindred 10 tnat OF par
barana proof OF which he instanced the Do"hH OF
Indian mutineers alive from guns Mr. Tafack consd-
cred that OF the great bulk OF crime or OF misfortune,
Ave per cent less belongs TO the welt0to, Wen eu
Gated classes Poverty and insanity often connected
and effect These facts strengthen the claim ior
tfnn
often exhibit evidence Of morbid physical symptoms anu
bodily Deficiencies Crime, too IL often heredtay ar
mass Of statistics and medical authorities All goes TO
show that criminals require eonsderate ana uiscr'
NATIVE treatment.
INDEMNITY FOR UNJUST MPRisoSaENr
Dr. Wines read q paper contributed by NJ. a. Corne, an
eminent advocate OF France on the Duty OF society 10
indemnify the citizen who has been Hnusty imprisoned
Mr. Corne began by saying that modern society secures
10 each member certain civil POLITICAL and religious
rights: but in reality these rights were but one-the
right Of each to act according to the natural laws Wc
govern the development OF humanity thati persohd
liberty The first guarantee fsea SS S arSray ar
rested and Imprisoned such pflvat9ns are t nay b
step to take, viz to proclaim the principle Oh
Indemnity. IT,, .,.,
accused Of swindlng detained for 22 months await
ing trial They finally proved To be Innocent ms,
the same kind though less serious. annually counted
by thousands or 1886 persons arrested IN ls6 oSo4
had been indicted acquitted Here are lOlg2 per
who in single year, suffered an unjust arrest ana
business who injured by Infamous suspicion;
who were dispossessed for days and months OF Their
house. their land, their honor and the happiness OF
home and whose families PERHAPS IN their aosheei 81,
were in want OF bread @ Te{ s %eTs po and @
cety refuses to grant any comen alton Tor the 9s any
eety too great to be BORNE Figures the give
the The total number of days OF imprisonment
suffered by these persons 25906 An indemnity of
two or three day would require from 10000 to
100000 year in France Gould that be regarded
az large TO reetfy, II not fully yet to great eS
tent a grave social inquityi No reform could be ef-
fected at less expense none could be more Iruiu Oh
happy consequences to the masses than tnat mere pro-
posed
AN ADULT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or PRISON OFFICERS
The Hon. VIM. II. Merrill Secretary of the Board OF
Managers OF the proposed Adult Refornatory at War
saw N Y, submitted paper in reference TO that lns
tuition object of the Reformatory the reclaming
OF persons convicted OF first oenses the punishment
for which would be imprisonment in State Prison for
not exceeding hve years ana the managers are
required by their charter to receive under theg care
and instruction such convicted or hrst oenses
az shall be- nrusted to them in the discIetions OF the
courts under such rules aud regulations as shall be pre-
law" This, looks TO such further
legislation, in the matter Of details as experience and
time shall show to be necessary IL being taken rs ganted
ing crime and reforming Offenders rather than persist In
prison breeding system which executes perempory
sentence aud the criminal loose, perchance, ten
times dangerous than when iucarcerated. -
The vital principle Of this Reormatory is that 1t shall
seek TO SAGE rather to give hope
and furnish them selfheps to their own reclamation,
rerognzing the OF despair aud the fatality of force
as elements in reioImatoy discipline. IL IL designed to
reach all first offenders IN whose case mitigating clrcu
stances may exist, hope De found that under proper
Influences they would recover from the effects Of their
weakness and guilt and not be utterly lost by the deep
and the terrible plunge out Of the bosom Of society into
prison The central idea OF the institution being not
at all penal and indeed less reformatory than simply
helpful il is proposed that all the rules governing
t shall be based upon consideration kindness, and
good will for the inmates. 1t Is not designated to
have either walls, bars, or cells, punishment An
ample farm and workshops will give to the inmates
opportunities to labor and they are TO receive an en-
couragng portion Of the rewards Of their labor Rel
gious instruction 10 touch the heart and educational
piances to enghen the mind are TO have the free play
which only self respect and hope In the breasts Of the
objects OF them can give. Ia word, il is designed Ia be
a retreat, home workshop and school combined in
one-a halfway house OF redemption between society
and the prison Into this place will be received the
classes selected for moral treatment They to
with the OF the law suspended over them. They
are TO be physically free, but morally bound to remain
until the Board of Managers and the Governor Of the
State shall pronounce them ready to be restored to
society, with all their rights unmpaired and their
rubbed out. II any proves neorrigble or
ali the penalties of the original sentence.
The Rev WoodwOrth Secretary Of the California
Prison Commission read an essay on the Professional
Training OF Prison Ocers He said that the prison
like ship on perpetual voyage, , which could be sue
prison could I've managed successfully only by men aud
women trained to the business and qualified for II.
AN INTERNATIONAL PRISON CONGRESS-.
Dr. Wines presented and read paper Oh "An lntcr.
national Penitentiary and Reformatory Congress-" He
treated his subject under six heads VIZ The history
the movement; the policy OF such meeting; the per
compose il; the questions for Its consideration
the preparation required the place and time OF holding
H. After all interesting sketch OF the efforts made In
this direction during the last Is mouths DR. Wines asked
Shall such Congress be held IL the judgment OF the
persons hest qualified To speak this question il !
allowed Il. due weight the expeiiency Of the Congress
is beyond doubt. Letters fsyoring the had
received from Il. viz from the United
OF which 70 from Governors Of States; "a
from England and Ireland II from the continent of
one adverse. The chief benefits 10 he hoped for
from such convention OF workers IN this field would be
the collection and diffusion of intormatiOn the quicken
ing influence that would forth from II the engh,en-
ment and nvigoraton OF public opinion questions Of
prison discipline.
DIR: Wines next inquired, OF whom shall the Congress