Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-01
PRISON DISCIPLINE.

The National Prison Association held its
The following is the substance of report on
Prison Discipline which was presented at the
meeting. The facts contained are valuable
and worthy of attentive consideration,
From the best data obtainable, the whole
prison population OF the country may be es-
timated as ranging from 50 800 in July to 49,
600 in February. OF this number, 900 art
probably con ined in 40 State prisons, while
1900 are held under sentence in houses OF
correction, warehouses;, district penitentia
ries, and jails, and 900 are awaiting trial or
are held as Witnesses. ALI grades Of crimi
nails are presented, and the problem that oc
ours is to adapt the best system to the almos
infinite variety Of circumstances which pre-
sent themselves in a country as hetercgen-
eous as ours. 10 do this requires, principally
better graded prisons and \ more thorough
classification OF prisoners. The methods en-
ployed at present in the State Prisons are
three: The old congregate system; the new
congregate system, or Auburn or silent sys-
TEN, and the separate or Pennsylvania sys.
TEN. The Auburn system generally prevails,
except in Pennsylv ania. The old congrcgate
system still prevails in few State Prison.
and in many Of the ill-managed county pris
ems, and the consequences are that they are
turned into hot-beds OF vice, where the inno
cent and the convicted are indiscriminately
mingled-even the sexes in some instances
without employment. without books, or any
means of diverting the mind from the horn.
BILE secret vices and crimes which bad treat
ment superindLces.
The city prisons, stati0n-houses, and lock.
ups, which annually contain more prisoners
than all other prisons, are in a similar condl-
ton. They are the holes where petty official
frauds and abuse hide and coquette with mon.
strous vice; they are the workshops of de-
tectives, where felony is compounded and
impunity is manufactured to order; and 1t is
time that the work Of exposing and purif, ing
them should be begun. A few OF the count,
jails and most Of the houses Of correction,
work houses, and houses of industry are con,
Quoted on the new cOngregate or Auburn sys-
TEN, with notifications to suit the character
of the prison officials. In this class of pris
ons, however, the greatest improvements in
penal and reformatory discipline have recent,
been made, and were the laws amended SO %
to allow longer sentences to petty criminals
these establishments would show more graft
flying results in every respect than those Oh.
tanned in the State prisons. At the present
time the best prisons in this grade are self
supporting, and serve to prevent crime.
These prisons which receive criminals OF
the worst kind, and which are regarded as the
most important, number about 40. This
class includes establishments of the most di
verse description, containing in some in
stances 1000 convicts, and in others less
than so. At most of these establishments tn,
prisoners are employed within the walls, but
in some OF the Southern States the convicts
have been employed on railroads at some dis
lance from the prison. This mode Of em
ployment would prove advantageous were it
adopted 40 in ireland, in connection with a
we'll graded system of promoting the prison
ers until they should be prepared for their
hnal discharge. At present the number OF
State prison convicts is decreasing in the
Northeastern States, but increasing rapidly
in the South and the West. The average
number of prisoners in the State prisons is
estimated at 10000, and, with the exception
of about 700 in Philadelphia, all are govern
ed under the Auburn system. Although in
nearly all the States provision is made for
shortening the sentence of the prisoner for
good behavior, no opportunity is given for
classification, and education is greatly neg
lected. Several of the State prisons ue self
sustaining, and even return a small revenue.
The revenue derived from the labor of con
victs 10 not of much importance compared
with the judicious treatment, but 1t is proper
10 note tuat prisons Ol mOueTate SIG can
readily be made self sustaining, while larger
ones cannot. At the same time all the intiu-
ences of prison of less than 500 convicts
are more favorable to the reformation of its
inmates that The influences of establishments
like Sing Sing. 1t would therefore be better
for State to build new prison when its con-
victs exceed 500 in number than to enlarge
old prisons, unless = method of conditional
pardons, by which the increase in numbers
might be regulated, should be adopted.
It 10 the duty OF prison managers in the
United States to adopt the main features of
the Irish system without delay. Every State
needs an Inspector or commission Of Inspec-
tors, having access to and supervision over
prisons of all grades. Such Inspectors would
report to the Legislature the actual defects
and necessities Of the prison y stem of each
State. They could obtain q comprehensive
view of the whole field of action, and recon-.
chnuO Al.