The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-22
SING SING PRISON DISCIPLINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The statements contained III your journal OF yes
terday to the treatment OF the convictS at Sing
Sing and the conduct OF the superior officials at
that establishment are enough to make the hair Of
a prison disciplinarian stand on end ''ke quilts
upon the lretiul pOrcupne.n Your appeal how
ever, to your philanthropists seems very like call
ing s'spirts from the vastly deep" as far as the ac
complishment of remedy is concerned. There is
no country in the world in which there are more
intelligent and humane people, or IN which the
OF proper criminal correction and reforma-
tion is better understood than In the United
States; but in practice your systems OF discipline
become farce or an abortion through the terrible
tntermxture OF politics with cficehOlding, and the
constant changes, which directly issue In venality
ana corruption OF the worse kind, and limit that
acquisition OF experience which Is so especially
necessary in the government OF the criminal. l
do not know what notice the medical officer OF Sing
Sing Prison may tnlnk fit to take or the charges
preferred against him in your columns but do
know that II such were made IN England the
Home Secretary would cause inquiry to be made
without an hours delay, and would be questioned
on the subject in the House OF Commons. and that
In the matter Of the changing by the thumbs tor
ture'' the puolic feeling would be aroused to a
pitch OF Indignation as great as IL attained when
Lieutenant Austin tortured the prisoners in the
jail OF Birmingham. Having had charge OF convict
prisons, both in England and Ireland, in which no
medical officer dare innlct the punishment OF de-
priving prisoner of even all ounce OF bread, am
truly astonished to learn that IN your State Prison
the powers oil governor, or warden, are so i'm
properly mixed with those OF the Physician, whose
special work, 1t has always appeared to me, was
to mitigate, instead OF aegravatng, the seventies
or discipline, wnen on professional grounds he
can find just cause to do so. AS governor OF
and have known none who would do otherwise
sent such q case as that oil the poor boy, whose
Ss to e w eep
should specially examine him ana report whether
he was then fit Tor the work oil winch he was en-
pioyed. Prisoners In England sent to the public
works, after the term OF nine months probation
in separate cell at Pentonville or MDank, are
frequently passed ny the doctor q the prison they
invariably II they allege their inability
to perform it, are re-examlned and, II need be, put
to lighter work. Even when long employed IN the
dockyards vi Chatham or Portsmouth or in the
quarrles OF Portland they can see the doctor daily,
thing IS not known as "fnai answer" in such q
shifting matter as bodily strength and health. On
the one hand noweyer to hn r1a TINS severity and
Otner TO discover the gross abuses named In your
article, and in your correspondendent's letter, is
inquiry INTO the entire administration of Sing Sing
Prison. What possible hope can there be Of the
reformation OF the criminals themselves when they
live amid abuses, and are surrounded by venallty
IN It's grossest forms
The term keeper" is surely either JOKE or
given ON the ttucuS q non tuCendo" principle,
where convicted criminals can 80 easily escape,
or, for pecuniary consideration, can indulge in
vice, liquor, gambling ana H.tle outings" among
free men, can do their punishment labor by dig
nifty and i've as private pupils or private boarders
In establishments to which they are condemned by
law Tor crimes, which, In virtue OF their means and
education. are relatively more heinous than those
OF their common fellow prisoners
The great want appears to me TO De tnat OF q
permanent and well selected star OF officers rom
the bottom TO the top OF the service, with whose
selection politics shall have nothing TO do, COM
bined with lair and liberal scale instrumentation.
A good prison 0fficcr Is not made in day or q
month. and the material OF which he is formed is
not abundant, G. p. M.
April 81. 1874.