American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-10-31

and basin, couple of blankets and pain
| of sheets, Il crank machine, and little
| else. y slit in the cell wall or an
opening in the door enables the
| Wardcr to look in unaWareS upon the
| prisoner, and see that he is safe and well
| behaved. Here the convicts work twelve
| hours il day, exclusive of meals-thrcc
| pounds of oakum being required to be
| picked, or IA, 300 revolutions of the crank
with pressure of fourteen pounds, to
| be made, at full labor, any interval of
spare time being spent in the never
| failing and wcarying work of oakum-
picking. The dress of all convicts in
the close PRISONS" except those sent up
from other prisons for good conduct at
the expiration of sentence, is Il rough,
brown fustian shirt and brccches, Stamped
all over with the Government mark of
the broad arrow" blue wooden stockings
with red stripes, shoes, and Il brown
fustian Scotch cap. This uniform is only
changed as II man advances in work and
is promoted to another class. AT PEN
tonyiIle or Millbank, then-both of which
are built on the same general plan
paying dearly for the one false step, or
previous course of crime, by the duh
monotony of their everyday life, the
hard work, sCanty fare, unceasing super
vision, and wretched feeling of despair
which must be the lot of some, the con
victs in England work out their terms of
probation. On a given day, before the
expiration of this first year, handcuflcd
and linked together by chains, the con
victs who have served out their proba-
tionary terms are sent of to one of the
public-works prisons" at Chatham,
Portland, or. Portsmouth; or, if in
indifferent health, and incapable of hard
labor, to one of the light-labor prisons at
Dartmouth, Parkhurst Brixton, or Wok-
ing. From this time, it may be said the
convict really commences his term of
penal servitude, by working at hard
labor on Government works, and by fall
ing into that system of marks which
we shall now explain, and which will be
seen to have material effect both on
the mans condition in prison and his
future prospects at leaving on the expira-
ton of his sentence.
Every convict in England during the
term of his Imprisonment is required to
pass through the following classes, viz:
Probation class, one year, during which
he must earn on public works 720 marks.
Third class, one year, during which he
must earn on public works 1920. Second
class, one year, during which he must
earn , ,920 marks, after which he is eligi
BILE for promotion to the first class.
Every convict is thus required to remain
in the probation class for a minimum
period of one year reckoned from the
date of conviction, nine months of which
are passed in separate confinement.
Prisoners in this class can earn no gra-
tuity, as in the other classes; are not
permitted to receive visits, nor to write
or receive letters from friends, except one
letter on release from separate con
hnement; and are only allowed one
period of exercise on Sundays. Good
conduct and industry having, in the |
governors opinion, qualified the convict |
for advancement to the third class, he |
has black facings, as distinctive badge, |
added to his convict-dress, and obtains |
the following privileges: Permission |
to earn a gratuity of twelve shil- |
lings, being at the rate of one shil- |
ling per month for twelve months, by |
marks; to receive a visit of twenty |
minutes duration once in six months; |
and both to receive and write "a letter |
once in six months; and to be allowed |
one period of exercise on Sundays; all |
this supposing that his conduct has been |
good. Promotion to the second class is |
by the substitution of yellow
form, and by the following privileges:
Permission to receive visit of twenty
minutes duration, and both to receive
and write letter once in four months;
to earn a gratuity of eighteen shillings,
being at the rate of one shilling and six
pence per month for twelve months, by
marks; to be allowed choice of tea and
two ounces of additional bread instead
Of Cruel, privilege, let it be told, most
highly priced by convicts in the English
prisons; and to have two periods of cX-
ercise on Sundays.
The convict still going on well, adj
vances, in the next year, to the first class,
when he changes his yellow for more
blue facings, and obtains adj
litional privileges, as follows: Permission
to receive IL visit of half an hour and
both to receive and write a letter once in
three months; to earn a gratuity of thirty
being at the rate of two shil
ings and siXpcnce per month for twelve
months, by marks, until three pounds
nave been earned altogether; to be cligi-
Die, if his conduct and industry are good,
md if special circumstances should rem
Ter it desirable, to be recommended on
discharge from prison for a further gra
uity not exceeding three pounds; to be
allowed the choice of tea and bread in
stead of Cruel, and baked instead of
boiled meat, and three periods of exer-
Use on Sundays.
After this again comes special class,
n which the convict changes his brown
lie is eligible for an extra remission of
and for employment in the gen
,ral service of the prison-in the bakery,
kitchen, etc.
BY the law of England every convict
las it in his power, by good conduct and
industry in prison, to earn a remission OF
)ne-f fourth of his sentence calculated
from the day he leaves separate contine
nent. This ticket of-leave system was
Introduced when the Australian colonies
against any further transporta-
ion of convicts; and, although it oper-
ties as an inducement to good conduct
md due performance of hard labor in
PRISON. it yet operates as part of the
,enal- scrvitude system outside by retain
ng hold on the convict until the whole
period of his sentence has eXpired.-1p-
,let0A's JOurnal.
Great TeIprranhic Feat.