The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-04-05
PRISONS AND PRISONERS.

AS society advances in enlightened liberal views
of the duties Of humanity, the subject of the
regulation and discipline Of prisons becomes a
matter OF interest and solicitude. The old theory
Of prisons, that of punishment only of the Of
fender, has in these times been superseded by the
doctrine Of discipline, and if possible, Of reform
alton. At all events, this is the generally declared
policy in the prison systems of the principal civ
ilized nations. Thus the preventive, correctional
and punitive nstitufions-the industrial schools,
the juvenile relormatories, the jails, penitentia-
ries or State prisOns,-are all aiming at the same
results, the education and reform of fallen
nun sl~"i@J1 rIvtIU uuteuUIon mas heretofore beer
paid to the government and regulation of prisons
in these islands. True, the present system is a
vast improvement upon that which existed twenty
years ago, but n great work remains yet to be
done before our prisons can be considered to pos
sess any OF the features of r~eformatory institu-
tiOns. Outside Of Honolulu indeed, there are but
few real prisons deserving che name, and criminals,
strictly so termed, when convicted in the Courts
Of the other islands are brought here for incar-
c~eration. The lookup" buildings Mt the
principal points in the outer districts are only
used as temporary places of detention. \ good
many hAsAN NhAC NNA HNAcbAAo 6uAAlJ VI HIS
demeanors in those districts, when unable to pay
their fines, are let out to planters and others en-
ploying labor, the employer accounting to the
Government for the fine. This plan, which at
first may appear to be a convenient and harmless
one, is nevertheless open to the objection that the
in~discriminate mixing of offenders against the
laws with honest laborers, tends to degrade the
latter and to mitigate or render nugatory the
punishment of the former. This, however, is
only one of the evil results of the system as
pursued in the outer districts.
Another Objectionable feature of our prison
system Is the custom Of letting out prisoners in
gangs to whoever will employ them, in and about
Honolulu, on such jobs for instance as the dis
charging of n ship at the wharves, or other oper-
atoms requiring considerable dispatch and the
labor OF numerous hands. The law-abiding
subject, who gets his living by every day labor,
and who pays fares 10 support prisoners among
other Government institutions, feels when he
sees these prisoners employed in preference to
himself on account of their cheapness, that Gov
ernment is thereby guilty OF an injustice. 1t is
in Il manner taking the bread Tor the poi) out of
the mouths of himself and family. 1t is degrad-
ing and eheapening, instead of e~leyating and en-
NOhAAalAEs DlN lLlOL- III II bt u VI
surprise that his perceptions of the 8 fitness of
things becoming confused and his moral sense
blunted, he may come to regard the condition of
a prisoner and the means by which prisoners
become what they are, in an extremely modified
light? VIII it be strange if he murmurs and is
dissatisfied at the unfair and unnatural competi-
ton which he is compelled to submit to?
The only proper and unobjectionable work upon
which to employ persons condemned to penal serv-
itude under the laws of the cOuntry,-if no en-
ployment can be furnished within the prison itself,
is that of the public, or strictly Government
works. The erection of Government buildings,
making and repair of roads, is legitimate work
for prisoners. The roads and streets in and
about Honolulu might receive a good share of
prison labor with manifest advantage TO public
comfort and welfare. Any one who has noticed
and who has not-the frequently wretched condi-
ton of our streets and the thOrOughfares leading
from the city, during some years past, will agree
with us that the public would be far better served
by employing the prisoners in keeping these in
good repair. rather than in outstanding the ap-
preparation by letting prison labor for the dis
charge of ships or the digging of some ones taro
patches.
But it is impossible to enforce too strongly and
earnestly the duty of Government to provide for
the classification of criminals in our prisons.
Upon this subject we have spoken before, and
shall continue from time to time to agitate the
necessity of reform. We hold that the Minister
Of the Interior has now, under Section 200 of the