Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-10


such wrongful Imprisonment.
terest to society; and facts show that our laws re-
garding insanity in Its relation to crime need re-
vision, In order to bring them TO Il more complete
conformity to the demands of reason, justice ano
humanity; SO that when INSANITY is pleaded in bal
of conviction the investigation may be conducted
with greater knowledge dignity and fairness; crim
inal responsibility be more satisfactorily deter
mined; the punishment of the sane criminal Dc
made more sure and the restraint OF the insane De
rendered ut once more humane.
XVI. While this Congress would not shield the
convicted criminal from the just esponsioility o.
his misdeeds, IT arraigns society itself as IN no
slight degree accountable for The invasion OF IL,
rights and the warfare upon It's interests practseo
bv the criminal classes Does society take all tlt
steps which il easily might, TO change or az least TO
improve the circumstances in our social state That
lead to crime; or when crime has been committed
to the procliyity to it, generated by these CIR
cumstances? 1t cannot be pretended Let society
then lay the earnestly to its conscience, ana
strive to mend in both particulars. Oneness We
are told by high authority, must come; but
special woe Is denounced against tnose .nio w
whom they come. Let us take heed that woe ialls
not upon our head.
XXVII. The exercise of executive clemency II
the pardon of criminals is a practical question o
grave import {nce, and of great delicacy ana dln-
Guilty. Ii Is believed that the annual average OF
executive pardons from the prisons of the wholt
county reaches ten per cent of their population
The effect of the too free use of the pardonhg pow
is to detract from the certainty of punishmentiol
crimes and to divert the mind of prisoners non
the means supplied for their improvement; ial-
dons should issue for one or more of the following
reasons, viz To release the innocent, to correct
mistakes made in imposing the sentence TO relieve
such suffering from i'll health as requires release
from Imprisonment and to facilitate or reward tn
real reformation of the prisoner The exercise OF
this power should be by the Executive and should
be guarded by careful examination as to the char
acter of the prisoner and his conduct i'm prison
Fulthermo. e. it is the opinion of this Congress that
Governors of states should give to their respective
Legislatures the reasons in each case for their eN
ercise of the pardonng power.
XVIII. The proper duaration of imprisonment
for violation of the laws OF society Is one OF tht
most perpleXing questions i'll criminal jurispru,
dence. The present extraordinary inequality OF
sentences for the similar crimes is n source
of constant irritation among prisoners, and the DIS
cipline of our prisons suffers in consequence The
evil is one for which some remedy should be de
vised
xxx. Prison statistics, gathered from a wide
field and skilltuly digested essential to an tN
hibiton OF the true character and working OF ou
prison systems. The collection, collation. and re-
duction 10 tabulated forms of sucn statistics can
best be effected through "a National Prison Discl'
pine Society, with competent working comm tttees
III every State, by the establishment of National
PRISON Bureau, similar to the recently Instituted
National Bureau of Education.
Xxx. Prison architecture Is matter OF grave
Importance. Prisons Of eve,y class should be sub
stantial structures, ahording qualification by
their design aud material TO Il pure taste, but not
costly highly ornate. We are OF the opinion that
those OF moderate size are best, as regards both
industrial and reformatory ends.
XXXI. The construction organization, ana man
ageInent of all prisons should be by the State, and
they should form graduated series oil rctoimatoiE
establishments, being arranged with view TO the
industrial employment, intellectual education ana
moral training OF the inmates.
XXI. AS general rnle, the maintenance OF
penal institutions above the county jail LIQUID be
from the earnings of their inmates, and without
cost to the State nevertheless, the true standard
of merit in their management is the rapidity ana
thoroughness of reforrnatory effect accomplished
thereby.
AAA,u right application OF the principles of
sanitary science in the construction and arrange
ments of prisons Is point of vital Importance
The apparatus for heating and vent.aton should he
e II s known:
should be afforded according to the abundance
with which nature has provided them; the rations
and clothing should be PLAIN but wholes me, COM
Portable and sufficient but not eNtfayagani quantity
the bedsteads, bed and bedding, including sheets
and pillow cases, not costly but decent and kept
clean, we'll aired and free IRON yermin the hospi-
tai accommodations, medical stores and surgical
instruments should be all that humanity requires
and science can supply; ana all needed means Tor
personal cleanliness should be without stint.
XXXIy. The principle of the responsibility OF
parents for the full or partial support of the criml-
inal children in reormatory institutions has been
extensively applied in Europe, and lis practical
working has been attended with the best results.
1t is worthy of inquiry whether this principle may
not be advantageousy introduced into the manage
ment of our American reformatory institutions.
XXXV. 1t is our conviction that one OF the most
effective agencies in the repres ION OF crime W. uld
be the enactment OF laws by which the education
of the children of the state should be made OF liga
tory Better to force education upon the people
than to force them into prisons to safer for crimes
of which the neglect o. education and consequent
ignorance have been the occasion, ii not the cause
Il
essential to all, it rs OR conviction that no prison
system can be perfect, or even successful to the
most desirable degree, without some central au-
thory to sit at the helm, guiding controlling, uni
flying and vitalizng the whole. We ardently hope
yet to all the departing hts of our preventive,
reformatory and penal institutions in each State
nodded into one harmonious and effective system;
Its parts mutually answering TO and supporting
each other and the whole animated by the same
spirit, aiming at the same objects, ana subject to
the same control; yet without loss of the advant-
ages Of voluntary aid d effort, whenever they are
attainable
XXXvII. This Congress is of the opinion that
DO in the official administration OF such system,
and in the voluntary cooperation of citizens there
in, the agency Of women may be employed with ex-
cellent effect.