Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-02-12
PRISON REFORM.

An adjourned Meeting Of the Friend's SbciAl
,Lyeeum wAs held in their room, West street, be
tween 4th and 9th, last evening, at which Aaron
M. Powell, editor Of the National temperance
Adpoode, was present, and made an address
upon the subject Of Prison Reform. Inthe alb
senoe of the President, Thomas Worre pre-
sided. J p F4tAk4AfAANs%.tk A.
VI, Mr.. Powell was delegate from the United
States TO the International Prison Oongreas,I
which met in London, to consider the subject bf
the prevention and repression OF crime. He
said that he was student rather than teacher
in that Congress, and was much pleased with
the prospects, of good which 1t was likely to sc.
oomplish. He was glad TO know that the old
theory, that punishment is the object OF imprB-
onment, waA giving place TO another which
oomprehended not only the refofmAtionIof priBai
fonera, hut their reclamation TO society rehabii-
tated under the restraint which such enlightened
system throws around the criminal.
He then reviewed some OF the topics which
were considered by the Worlds Congress, tho fret
Of which was, The treatment OF criminals by So,
ciety for it's protection. And II Is OF the gre te
importance, he said. 10 keep alive bopei in crm-
.dals--to give them to understand that sthere is
something worth living for-to bold out to them,
the prospect of retnrnt society, but not TO be
atigmatized or brutally treated. Hope is better
element to appeal to than fear, and the latter
does not cure the tendency to insubordination
near 80 we'll.
The methods by which this principle may OBJ
tain were next considered. These were 4 1st A
dimipution OF sentonce--thAt is cutting OFF
Or deduction OF the term Of sentence for good
behavior. Under ii there are fewer cases OF in-.
subOrdinatiOn and long continued violence. I'd,
Participation in the earnings, so that at the et-
piration OF the term Of imprisonment the GRIND
nal may have a small fund with which to begin
the world anew. The speaker .deprec ted the sys-
TEN Of farming ont criminals to Contractors, who
abuse them most shamefully, and care for them
not As men, but only as machines. He also
spoke Of the tendency of criminals thus treated
and turned out into the world without food,
clothing or money, to commit other acts OF
crime, as a last resort to obtain shelter and the
wllsrswith to appeaae tfe cravings of hunger.
Upon this point the testimony of the Congress
was oOncurrentS Sd, By progressive ciassihca-
ton. byLwhioh no meant An elevation. from the
harder work to the easier, in proportion to the
criminals mertorious conduct, 50 that he hpal-
" graduates in an OPEN field, with every bppor-
tunity TO ESCAPE, ard b0dnd-to service only, by
his own honor. PhiA Is the policy phrsued in
the Dublin prison, which he visited, and atatis-
tics show that the recommttals are very much
less than by the old system ~ .I..-...
1t was the aggregate sense Of that Congress,
he said, that an appeal to moral sense was most
effective in the treatment OF prisoners, and the
unanimous recommendation was made that
brute force be done away with in prison treat
ment for the reason that while II made good
plisoners it did not make good citizens. He
also spoke OF the necessity for an appeal ~
telf-respect--for the treatment Of the prisoner
in such way that he will respect himself.
The Importance Of the selection of those per-
sons only as prison officers who are poAsossed
OF conscientious convictions that criminals are
capable of reform, was also urged and insisted
upon ,..,....t..4 ..
The employment Of criminals next engaged
the speakers attention. He said it was tho tes-
timony Of all the members of the Prison Cop
gress, and with great unanmity, too that prisons
lNaA kaA
der them self-supporting, AZ a school OF disci-
pline. They contain men who have mover been
engaged in work, and they should be educational
III character, 30 that the criminal, when he leaves
them, may enter upon an occupation which Will
afford him livelihood. Many criminals, be
said, never knew anything about books, and are
simply victims OF circumstance. They need some
stimulant to know that there is another life to
live other than one Of crime. Religious influence
should also be thrown around them, but not IN
denominational aspect, but real and appealing to
the heart, teaching what religious life requires
He Offset the whipping poet with this spirit.
Standardization was also importAnt--that Is,
the prisoners ought not to be herded in one conl-
mon herd. There are differences In character,
ls in complexion, and to treat prisoners in
Wholesale manner is not 30 good. Put in a
hardened criminal and a young man together and
the latter will learn in a school OF crime rather
than of reformation. Our prisons are too large,
| he said. Il .-.t. s,-4 4.st.d.s.
Repeated short sentences are Objectionable
and detrimental, giving but little opportunity
| to beneht the prisoner and protect society.
Long sentences and graduating system are
needed, and were recommended by the Con-
Preventive agencies found much favor with
| tie speaker by which he meant hodses Of cor
| rectiOn and Industrial schools. IIe thought 1t
much easier TO kill the brood in tue. egg than
to hatch it and reform it Afterwards.
The relation Of capital to crime was also CON
-idered There are men the speaker said, who
/ tprnish tue tools aud mplements for cam
| paign of crime, who make extortionate demands
| upon the criminals, and are much more danger
/ Gus than the criminals themselves The Con-
gross recommended that these men be terreted
| out 4- t.E ~
Compulsory education was recommended with
| great unAmity OF sentiment by the Congress
The principle was not very well carried out IN
| England. He spoke of the lash al corrective
Of crime there, and said the plan had
some friends, but none in the Congress- He
was glad that the lash had been abolished from
Newgate prison, few weeks ago, and he hoped
Delaware wouldn't be left entirely behind. 1t
does not reflect we'll upon her faith.
The Congress, e.said, arraigned society fol
its shortcomings to criminals. The invitation
WAS extended to come and lend helping hand,
| but few responded, and he thought society al
fault for its neglect Of duty. He spoke of 1T
| application to prisoners turned out and the feel
| iDgs which oppress them on the oDtainment o
| situations He also spoke of discrimination
its back upon woman when she comes ont o
| prison, and it is no wonder that she plunges in
| lie of degradation. He made an especial ap
| peal for the young women, and urged tina
| some consideration be shown them If We woult
stay the tide Of social vice which ID sweeplnt
| over the land. 49,.
Prison architecture was incidentally alluded 9
and the needs for health arrangements
Unity OF action among prison officials was urg
| cd Under our form of Government, the head
of PRISONS are constantly being changed WIT
the success OF parties, and persons cannot b
competent under such q system, The epeake
admired the permanency in tho Old World in thl
! respect and thought tho appointment OF prison
| keepers should be vested IN the supreme 0ouI
! or where there is less liability to change.
c This much had been said in favor OF the pin
lanthropic principle and the speaker propose
a now to say something Of the Reformatory. Tn
Q first cares for the needs, &C., Of the prisone
while the latter s better in that it seeks to II
U move the causes which lead to the commlsslo
OF crime. Congress, the speaker tneught wa
remiss in it's dealing with intemperance. he r'
| ferred to the report of the N. T. Prson ASSOC
J, alton on the relation of imtemperance to criml
n | which pronounced 1t the most potent and dead
I, of all other instrumentalities. Of the W, OUO
" 10000 Jail commitments in New York, B ha
been liked upon as the lowest, and VI
as the highest proportion which resn,
n ed from intemperance. In Canada, 2o,Ol
r arrests had been made in years. ~ OO0 OF Whlc
= we're the result Of intemperance. In Baltlmor
!, tS,6 900 of the 10000 annual arrests are the n
lc suit Of the same cause
L rut- nrv.n uNuaa rain