New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-10-14
NATIONAL PRISON CONGRESS.
EIRST DAY.

DENMARK.
CINCINNATI. Ohio, Oct 12.-The National
Prison Congress commenced its sessions here to-day az
loo'cock a. IN. in ThoTn's Hail. permanent Organiza
ton was accomplished by making Gov. Il. d. Hayes Of
Ohio President He conducted 10 the chair by Gov.
Baker of Indiana and exGov. Htines of New-Jersey.
Mr. HAYES made brief address assuming the chair,
in which he spoke in strong terms of the objects of the
meeting, and the great good that might be expected
from is labors.
Dr Wines OF the New-York Prison Association, gave
general account Of the prisons Of the United states NJ
said that there were 40 Prisons Is Houses OF cor
rection, and about 1000 county jas beside laiRe nun
Der Of station Houses and lOckups, cmcHy III INC 49,
and large towns; that there Were on an aVcras' %
prisoners IN the State Prisons, from o"V 70 49,
Houses Of Correction, and from 4Oooo TO 6O'Vv III 'u
mon ails and perhaps as many in the locA-upSi '"'
crime had increased within the last decade Ou' u'p'o
portionatey to the increased population -. VII,
The Rev DR. b. X Pierce, Chaplain of the NeW-fork
House Of Refuge read paper giving genera view Vi
reformatory ana preventive institutions IN the Umteu
e,a,os Dr p said that the first recorded organized
movement for tie rescue OF this class OF youth was
undertaken by August Herman Fr1nche in HAZE Ger
many in 1926 His experiment was repeated by john
Falk in Weimar in the same country 100 years later
Their example has called into being 400 institutions IN
Germany between 40 and so in France 29l in Great
Britain and 90 or 40 the United States, for the rescue
Of endangered and vicious youths The first House OF
Befuge in this country was established IN the Guy
of New-York in 1925. 1t is singular fact that
a leading idea in the opening OF the
New-York House to provide refuge Tor
young criminals who had completed their sentence
At the Peuontary, and shut of by their previous
crimes from an opportunity to obtain remuneration Tor
honest labor The House. however was never used Tor
this purpose has rather been devoted to the WORK OF
prevention; but during the last two years 1t has been
trying with great the experiment Of giving work
and remuneration TO young men, both during ana after
their immediate connection with the institution, who
Otherwise would inevitably become occupants OF prison
cells. and Philadelphia alone for more than 20
years followed the example OF NcwHork IN constructing
Houses OF Reform for Juvenile Dcinquents and 1t was
not until about the year 1850 that Reform Schools began
10 multiply in the country. No discussion at first TOOK
place as TO style Of buildings or systems OF discipline
The early institutions all close corporations Their
Managers clCcting the officers aud directing ther aus
rjtfTe without Interference from city or state THESE
schools have been much more successful ana peaccui
than those whose managers are subject to The control Oh
the Executive. and exposed TO constant changes Ihe
true policy cf Che state is 10 allow, uGe PROBE sueI
vision, 10 al public reform Schools hn III. mum, St P
edpa and demand certain standard OF laclites lot
educational, industrial, aud moral tti IIs Mann, and
The visits between 1850 and 1910 OF Horace Mann ana
Calvin T. Stowe 90 European institutions OF reform,
lhleS TcpoIt: the two volumes Miss Carpenter
OF Bristol England, upon the cause ana cure OF ehl!e
of the Philadcpbil House Of Refuge and the KciQIna
tory Conventions OF 1857 ana 1889 aWa6ehe0 great tL
tshlnents TuC successful inauguration OF the Lancaster
School for girls IN M4ssaehet9 e u fn MAN
ln q decided direction TO public sentiment toward this
,orm of constructing the buildings and in reference 10
sine separation OF the sexes in reform schools since
then schools have generally accepted some InOdncatoh
Of this family system We have no adequate statistics
10 show Whether the family plan has an advantage
over the eonsi s1y roisi,le satisfactoriiy 70 com
mare the institutions with each other tty OI so Wluc
in circumstance All doubtless accomplishing mnch
good ana are improving upon lD w "a c1oss ~
great want in al Is higher ana more CtNOtou SdSs VI
suits Though lack OF a well organized system Of indus
trial discipline Adequate cortis not put form TO i0l
work Of reform until has become permanent. Farm
tabor does not afford employment the year round ana Is
not sharp enough in its discipline FOR some boys Inc
chop and the ship alone save them.
markabe success during the last quarter Of century
l{ Or Chalmers experiments IN Glasgow ana EuhouIgn
his ragged pupils in Portsmouth, England, awakened
much interest in this country Christian men and wonei
have carried religious ana eu0cdtoh' iuattutOis nv
the worst localities, and have secured tLe most rehafh
bnOng their Wrctccd pOpul specially the young
These numerous charitable movements arc perlapA III
necessarily multiplied and uuetuuunhcaly managed
ghey should he organized under the state Or munio pa
iaards but t.y fe Am doing good service in deyclopfn
tbc moral f,cfir of teir agents and they also sccur
wider exploration Of the great field OF wretchedues
4 debate ensped, IN which the comparative merits o
Che congregaied and family systems Of conducting re
vas 81 l. Pierce f5Ss' Of SasS si3D
Board of state Prisons, r. " Marcus Alges OF Tic Mas
EVENING SESSION.
Tn the evening two papers read Mr. r. Bruun
inspector Of Prisons in Denmark, communicated papc
prison discipline in that country, which read 10y
r Wines, who preiaced the reading by saying that the
ESSAY though Of great ability and interest much toe
long to be read in 90 minutes II would therefore bo
Necessary TO make selections from il that could b,
brought within that limit Mr. BrIUn commenced viii
Ibe remark that punishment by death and manning had
i1ndness had taken the place Of cruelty Labor re
Iarced as an essential element IN public puuBhlnent
Improvement IL was education tor liberty. Each
pri-on in Denmark has good library for the repensh-
a
considerable progress has been made in a financial
labor Of each prisoner was only three cents day;
bow 1t is 10 cents. The prisoners are bound TO
babCd and each has soap, towel and comb The domes-
- ,oitS 49, o. az lId ~ sI o i ISL
and much less severe. II was thought good state
punishe 1t has in later years been brought down
20 six per cen. Bodily correction is now yery Sc dom
used; wOmel hardly ever What in Denmark we
}ayc hitherto su ced Tor, and obtained, is 10 teach the
yt we 1r s c linn M 5avS oeSJgcG IN
e % good prisonsrg but II is sun desderdtum TO
we have as ct neg oce TO reward at least III the right
Mr. Bruun gave it as his opinion that to keep the
prisoner alway M NJ &c. always in separation, would
se unwse, hcC0GS Thus gre would, at best, be nursed
1arcand There Void Only be monks educated for the
SOnvent, not citizens trained for free society The re-
knowing Of prisoners 'fOu one prison to another which
fakes place In the Irish s!sitm, as pacsed IN Ireland
could not be applied in Denmark did he think IT
1he prisoner reman and by this arrangement the adyan
tage ia obtained that, from the beginning 81 his mpls-
comment till he is discharged, he remains always under
Ihe same persons who have, once for all, become
rIuainted with his good and bad qualities. Mr.. Bruin
stated in conclusion that he had submitted 10 the Gov
frnment a proposition for introducing a progressive
hrsOn system embOdying the fundamental ideas of the
Frsh system lie did not doubt that tie proposed sys
hem would be adopted so that instead Of Weakening the
moral forces OF the prisoner by their treatment they
would De able strengthen him 10 sound action, give
Ann wpOWer and thus TO restore lin to society good
and useful citizen
The second paper by Sir John BOwrng o. England
rreU known by the positions lie has held at and
abroad under the British government His essay treated
on the purposes of prison discipline. The view he took
of prison that Of noralh ID which prisoners