Litchfield enquirer., 1874-08-27
The Board of Charities.

To THE EDITOR OF THE LITcHFrELD EN.-. oU1RER. Dear S;r. Will you kindly pub fish one or both of the inelosed articles from the Bridgeport Standard, which are in reference to the work of the State Board of Charities, and more especially that of Prison Libraries, and oblige one interest ed that Litchfeld should not be behind other counties in the state, in plans to do more than has been done for the moral training of our prisoners. The movement that is being.made in that direction has the encouragement of the ministers of every denomination, and of many of our prominent citizens. Bishop Williams has sent letter the clergy of the Episcopal church, calling for contribution from every Parish. It is hoped that others who read this appeal will subscribe to the fund for Prison Libraries without fur, ther solicitation. Contributions can be sent to Mrs. George A. Hoyt, Stamford, Conn.,, for the State Board of Charities:
 We publish below the substance of an Act of our State Legislature of 1873, ,creat- ing ga Board of Charities. This Board has duties i'll relation to the jails of the State, the prison, insane asylums, schools for children of feeble minds, the State re- form schools, &c. It is a first step to- wards securing in our State what has al- ready been attained in other States, viz: the adoption of reformatory measures in our general systems of prison discipline In other countries this subject has en- gagged the attention Of philanthropists for many years, and in Ireland, in Austria, in Australia, the reformation of large per centage of convicts is secured by reasor- ble and humane methods of working. It seems to us reproach to our own coun- try that 1t should be so slow in realizing the obvious facts of this important mat ter. Prisoners belong to the human race Motives that influence men in general may be expected to have some in- fuence upon them. Jails and prisons are mostly schools of vice, and sometimes not inexpensive schools either. It is hardly credltable to our intelligence that we should be supporting institutions where the commingling of young nnd inexperi- enced prisoners with hardened criminals, and the lack of any adequate moral train ing, or care, cannot but nourish and in- crease crime, and that we should be un- awake to any possibility or hope for bet ter state of things. ...-i
 Section l, of the Act to which we have referred establishes the Board to consist of two ladies and three gentlemen ap- pointed by the Governor to inspect all penal and other similar institutions in the State, to see whether the inmates are properly treated, and except for crime on legal process, whether they are justly placed or held, with power to correct abuses. This duty and power, however, are placed under proper restrictions not necessary to be put forth here.
 Section 2, provides for visits to be made frequently, and unannounced by the board, and for opportunities to be afford ed to the inmates for private conversation with some member of the board and for the transmission of letters from the in mates to the board without inspection or delay. This provision of the law finds special application in instances of unjust detention in insane asylums. sa
 Section 3, limits the duties of the board to the supervision of the physical and moral welfare and personal rights of the inmates and removes from any other board authoritative supervision in these respects.
 Section 1, directs the board to report an- nually to the Governor any facts with re- gard to these institutions, which they may deem is important to lay before the pub lie, with any suggestion which they may think proper.
 Section 5, 5,empowers the Governor to re- move any member of the Board at his dis cretion, and enjoins him to remove any member found to be incompetent or un- faithful.
 Section 6, allows to the Board their &C., tual expenses when authorized and certi- fled under oath.
 The committee appointed by the Cover nor of Connecticut, in compliance with the act of the Legislature, wish to inter- est all citizens ill this important subject. Among the many things which the Board would like to do, one is, to .tU,1isb COuaa- ty Jaits aOith tibraraes. There are ten of these institutions in the State, and an ag- gregate average Of 500 prisoners, who rarely return to society as abiding citizens; in fact, the testimony of those best qualified to say is that our iails as- slst i'll educating criminals for the State prison. Books alone cannot accomplish the reformation of this class of persons, but they are important aids towards an end so much to be desired. The fact that in other countries under judicious and humane methods the majority of prlson- CTS are reformed and restored to useful ness amongst their felIow-men, ought to influence us. -r.
 THE MEETING, LAST EVENING, in the Lecture Room of the Baptist Church. ill behalf of the prisoners, was not largely at tended, but was of considerable inter est: Rev. N. l.. Briggs was chairman, and Dabney Carr. Esq. secretary. Dis cussion was had chiefly on the following points, viz: ..
 l. The evils resulting from the associa- tion of criminals and culprits in our jails. Instances were given to show that, under this system, jails are apt to be schools of vice. Youthful offenders not seldom learn from more accustomed and hardened criminals lessons of evil which they put in practice when set at liberty. Not only do they go'frpm bad to worse, but society is the sufferer, and receives damage rather than benefit from institutions whose ob- ject should be not merely to punish, but, if possible, to reform the vicious. It was earnestly argued that the associated sys- tenn should be, so far as practicable dis placed by that of seperate confinement
 9 The necessity of occupation for the