The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-08-11
i
PRIS0N DISCIPLINE.


A proper system Of prison discipline is
a subject which has, for many years, been
attracting considerable attention. Of
course the great object to be attained is
to impress upon the convict the fact that
he is to be punished, yet at the same time
efforts should be made to affect refor-
nation in his character. The solitary
and silent system was for a long time
tried in England; but it was found to
work badly, having a tendency to des-
troy the health of the prisoner, and
rendering him so desperate as to preclude
any chance of working out any substan-
tial change for the better in his DISPOSE
ton. This was very clearly portrayed
by CHARLES READE in his work, "Never
to Late to Mend" On the other hand
the permitting prisoners to be thrown
much together has bad tendency in
that those who are youthful and new to
crime, are encouraged to continue in it
bv the older and more hardened, and
instructed by them in the art of skillfully
making improved burglars tools, and in
various lessons of like nature. The
New York Herald has been recently
looking into this matter, and sent a
reporter over to Sing Sing to interview
Warden HUBBELL in charge there, and
ascertain his views. The warden, it
seems, has made prison keeping a spe-
cialty, having travelled in Europe and
closely examined the systems of that
continent, especially those of Great
Britain. He says that our system is very
defective, principally arising from the
fact that the keepers and watchmen are
appointed through political influence, no
reference being had, whatever, to their
experience or capacity for this particular
duty; but he thinks this will hardly be
remedied. Another trouble is that our
Penitentiarics are generally too large, and
have so great crowd cOngregated to-
gether as to make it difficult to enforce
necessary discipline.
He expresses himself as in favor of
what is known abroad rs ''the Irish sys-
tenn which commences with very severe
punishment, the convict being required
to sleep on plain board, having nothing
given him to eat but Cruel, and only a
sutficiency Of that to keep him alive,
while his constant work is picking oak
UNI. He is subjected to this for about
eight months, when his punishment
is lightened, and he is gradually
advanced to easier grades punishment,
his rise being dependent upon his good
behavior, until AT last he is transferred to
Il large farm at Lusk, without guards, and
where he is allowed to be thrown upon
his conduct. Should he here been guilty
of any fragrant act he knows that he will
be sent back and have to undergo afresh
his routine of getting up good record.
This system could not be carried out in
this country entirely, but Warden Hub
bel suggests that important reformationS
might be effected, and that prisoners
should be divided into three classes, and
that in no one locality should Il prison be
for more than five hundred
prisoners. He would have a mixed sys-
TEN of the solitary and congregate. In
the first prison he would place the new
prisoners, and keep them in solitary con-
fnement until they We're prepared for
the associate stage, say in about twelve
He would treat them kindly,
but demand rigid discipline. In the Sc
cond, he would place those considered
hardened in crime, or who have been re-
turned two or three times, and in the
third he would place those incorrigible
specimens for whom he had no hope of
We cannot give his views
extensively, but these are the outlines of
his plan, which he thinks would result in
much good every way, could it be adopted.