New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-16
PRISON REFORM.

| ~
lombia, South America. There wer
present in this congress two hundred ant
thirty-seven delegates, nineteen of whom
were women. They were persons of larg
experience and marked ability. Thi
meeting was principally the work of Rev
DIR. W. c. Wines, who, for many years
has been an indefatigable and enthusiastic
laborer in the cause of prison and peni
tertiary reform. For upward of ter
years he has been an active member anC
officer of the New York Prison Associa
ton, through which organization many
salutary reforms have been made in the
prisons and penitentiaries ofthat State.
The body which met in Cincinnati last
year was named by its projectors the 'Na.
tional Congress on Penitentiary and Re.
formatory Discipline" and was convoked
after consultation with the friends of the
movement in different parts of the coun-
try, under the auspices of the New York
Association. Its presiding officer was
|
A number of papers were read by dele
gates pertaining to the objects of the con-
vention and of the utmost interest in
their statements and suggestions. Among
the papers read before this congress upon
the various branches of prison discipline
were some from such men as Sir John
| Rou,r,,,o or5 Civ W;ll;,v,o Crof+o, Of Enr,
land Inspector of Prisons Frederick
Braun, of Denmark; Signor M. Beltrani
Scala, of Italy, and from gentlemen of
our own country well versed in the adj
ministration of prisons and other penal
| and reformatory institutions.
Mr.. Braun's paper gave detailed and
clear account of the system of prison ad-
ministration in Denmark, and especially
referred to the necessity of classification
among prisoners. This matter was also
discussed by Sir Walter Crofton in his
paper upon the Irish system. Signor Sea-
las paper on national and international
penitentiary conferences in Europe and
America, gave clear and succinct
statement of the results thus far accom-
plished for the improvement of prisoners
and prisons. This gentleman is said to
be one Of the most enlightened men in
Europe, and is rapidly putting in opera
ton in Italy system of prison dis
cipline which will compare favor
ably with any in the world. Two new
prisons have recently been built, one
in Perugia, the other in Turin, said
ton and thoroughness of construction.
A third is in process of erection in Genoa,
which in its plan and arrangements COM
bines all the best features of the European
prisons. The papers read by American
delegates were from the Rev. DR.. Wines,
"on the need of an international con-
gress;" by Rev. DR.. Bradford X. Pierce,
chaplain of the New York House of Re-
fuge, "on the preventive and reformatory
institutions in the United States by z.
r. Brockway, of the Detroit House of
system for State;" by Judge Pitman. of
Massachusetts,, on the equality of sem
tences;" by Mr.. Frank B. Sanborn, of
Massachusetts, ON the applicability of
the Irish system to American prisons"
which was an argument in favor of CLASH
fication and grading of prisoners; by
of no of
Protectory, New York, on confidence in
the inmates of reformatories as an element
of success in their treatment
The most interesting of all these papers
was that presented by Mr.. Brockway on
the 'ideal for true prison system for |
State, which occupied an hour and a
half in its reading, and was listened to by
the body there assembled with unfagging
attention. Mr.. Brockway is well known
as one of the most intelligent, efficient
and successful prison managers in the
country, and the results of his experience
were very valuable. The statistics of fif-
teen prisons which he had collected
showed that of the 1OO,05S pris-
oners, 3d. were born in foreign
countries; and of the remaining 46, 957 at
least fifty per cent were of foreign e1trac-
ton; $3.50 were living without family
connection; forty-two per cent were over
thirty years of age; eighty-two per cent
were laborers and servants; sixteen per
cent were artisans; less than two per cent
were professional loafers," and about
per cent were from the edu-
Gated classes; twenty-seven per cent were
not able to read or write; seventeen per
cent were able to read little, but could
not write; eighty-two per cent acknowl-
edged themselves to be Incorporate, many
of whom were committed for crimes re-
sulting from these excuses. r
The ideal system suggested by Mr..
was divided into three heads;
first, organization; second, legislation,
and third, administration.
The manner of carrying out these sug-
gestions will be referred to in another
article, as they are of too important
character to receive only brief notice,
and as We may recur to this subject again
1t will then be taken up and considered
Before the adjournment of this con-
gress provision was made for the convo-
cation OF an international congress on the
same plan, to meet in London some time
in tho c11r0mar Of 1870