New-York tribune., 1871-04-13
UJCCU1RGED Conflicts.

We observe that q bill is now before the
PENNSYLVANIA Legislature, urged by the Prison
Association of that State, to empower them to
employ a man whose whole time shall be
"devoted to looking after the wants of dis
charged prisoners, furnishing them with
clothing, temporary board, and TOOLS and
Finding employment for them" Wise and
necessary as the movement is, 1t comes so
late in the day, and is so meager IN effort to
supply an immcasurablc need, that it strikes
us as almost ludicrOuS. Look for q moment
at the tableau of crime i'll this country. With
the formation of each State comes the estab-
lishmcnt of Il gigantic ritentiary-masSive
structures Of stone, or in some cases OF mar
bic, upon whose construction as much cost IS
expended as on some of the royal palaces of
European outlay, by the way, which, while
it conduces to the vanity of the State, adds
not one whit to the comfort of the inmates
The outer wall alone of the prison applying
for this bill cost over half a million of dollars.
The average primary cost of accommodation
for each inmate of the State Prisons is over
81 900, which does not include their after
maintenance. Beside these vast central Organi-
cations there are the jailS in each county of
each State, where hundreds of men and women
are withdrawn from society, kept in idleDess,
and maintained at the expense OF the State,
on account of real OF alleged crime. Now,
what is the object of this perpetual subtrac-
tiOn of q great fraction of the population
from the rest, by which they are kept in an
abnormal position at the cost of an enormous
outlay to innocent people? The answer of
IL, ifxttt, ,,f
"sOcicty.' Punishment, or the fear of it,I
never made bad man a better one; hence in
most of the State Prisons a nominal effort is
made by religious instruction, or the teaching
of trades, to fit the poor wretch whom heredi-
tary poverty, or viciousness, or some mis-
chance in life, has made felon, to stand up
right again on his release, ali honest man
among his fellows. We say nominal effort,
because in too many cases the necessity of
making the prisons sclf-supportng, converts
the convicts into drauglIt-hOrses, ont of WON
certain amount of work is forced, while the
question of their reformation is left altogether
i'll the lurch. Especially is this the case where,
as in Illinois and Kentucky, the prisoner, his
food, clothing, and the product of his labor
are handed over by the State for n bonus TO n
lessee, who proceeds to grind the c0nvicts
bones 20 make his own bread, and Ordinarily
grinds them to some purpose.
ia the best-managed penitcntiaries known.
where the convict, during his detention. is
furnished with a trade, religions instruction
hcalthful aud improving reading, what is done
ON his release to find him work and a place
again in socictyi Absolutely nothing. In
credible rs it may seem, Massachusetts, is the
ONLY state which has established an agency
for taking chlrge Of discharged convcts. In
only three other StateS-Pennsyivania New
York and Calif-rnia-is such aid systcmati-
cany given by any outside body. The
Prison Associaion-onc Of the noblest
aid, to humanity which Christianity
ever mspired-takcs charge in these States
of the prisoner before his release asceriains
his necessities, the state of his clothing, his
capabiliticS &c. finds hun work. or sends him