New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-21
The Condition Of Oar Prisons.

Miss Mary Carpenter, of Bristol, England,
whose recent visit to the United States is
remembered with so much pleasure satsfac-
ton by all who had the pleasure of meeting
and hearing her, has recently addressed to
the Prison Association of New York a very
interesting letter, giving the results of her
observations upon the condition of our prs-
ons, so many of which she visited.
, Miss Carpenter begins by laying down the
true principles Of prison discipline, and the
conditions requisite to their successful opera
ton, and concludes with observations and
suggestions concerning the various prisons
which she visited. Her theory of prison dis
cipline is this:
The State has right, for the protection
of society, to deprive of liberty any person,
man or woman, who is doing an injury to it
by breach of the laws. But, in thus depri-
wing him of his liberty, the State has no right
to inflict on him unnecessary pain, and is
bound to provide for his well.being, sphysi-
cal, intellectual, moral and religious, in every
way consistent with the object of his inn
prisonment, which is the protection of socie-
ty and the minimizing of crime. This object
is inseparably connected with the reforma-
ton of the offender, and the prevention of
his future criminal conduct, which may there
fore be regarded as. the immediate object Of
his Imprisonment. If the shortness of his
sentence of detention renders the first (ref-
ormatiOn) impossible, the nature of his inn
prisOnment should at any rate be of such a
character, in accordance always with his well
fare, as to warn him from a repetition of his
offence. The State, that is, the Legislature,
representing society, is responsible for the
development Of this principle, and for the
right treatment of all persons whom it has
deprived of liberty. In order to carry out in
each State this general principle, which
should be at the foundation of all treatment
of criminals, the following conditions appear
essential:
That Board of Commissioners, selected
by the Legislature for their fitness for such a
duty and responsible to it, shall be appoint
ed in every State to superintend and regulate
the condition of all places of legal detention
and the treatment Of the prisons. The
members of such Board shall not be removal
BILE except for due cause. Two of the Board
shall retire annually in rotation, but shall be
eligible to reelection.
That the Board shall have power to en-
force the adoption, in places of detention
calls, police stations and reformatories). of
the general conditions appointed by the State
for such places.
That the Board shall have power to ap-
point the chief officers of the State institu-
tlOuS, SuDIcCI W TIC dppIoNdl VI the UOVefn-
or and Council of the State such officers
(warden and religious and moral instructors)
being irremovable except for misconduct or
inability and that it (thc Board) must sane.
ton the appointment, by the local authori-
ties, of such officers in the county jails or re-
formatories and all places Of legal detention,
under voluntary management; such officers
being irremovable as above.
That the Board shall appoint inspectors,
who shall visit from time to time, at least
once year, and whenever it may appear de-
sirable, all jails and other places Of legal de-
tention, all persons in detention having the
power Of laying any grievance before them;
and that the inspectors shall lay monthly
report before the Board. The inspectors Of
alf female jails and institutions, to be ladies,
who shall recommend to the Board for ap-
prevail, all the chief female officials.
The Board should present annually COM
plete report to the Legislature.
Until some such Boards as these are es-
tablished, with the powers here briefly speci-