The New York herald., 1874-11-04
PRISON LIFE IN PENNSYLVANIA.
A View of the Solitary
System.
Our Correspondent Visits the East
ern Penitentiary.

net results not alone OF personal observation but
OF inquiries prosecuted in various quarters, there
will he no attempt to present 1t as the outcome OF
angle interview. Some OF the facts gathered came
from the Warden, some from different members OF
the Visiting Committee OF the Prison Association,
some from published statistics.
The Eastern State Penitentiary covers, with its
buildings and necessary grounds a space or rather
more than ten acres. on one Of the most elevated
and healtnful sites In Philadelphia. To the enter
ing visitor, as tine massive outside gate cangs 10
behind him and u securely fastened before the
Key OF the inner one Is inserted, the solid masonry
oi wall and tower, OF central building ana
rsdiating corridors, gives the usual depressing
Impression OF prison architecture, despite the
previous repeated assurance that "Wao enters
here" does not s.leave hope benind." Escape mas
evidently been most carefully guarded against,
not merely by the heavy wall with It's overnanging
inside coping, but by lantern wthin lookout
above the centre building, containing eight silver.
plated renectors, OF twenty inches diameter each
from which. by the use OF gas, strong light 10
thrown a. night into all parts OF the grounds.
My nrst inquiry naturally related TO the capacity
OF the Penitentlary and tue extent 10 winch tue
separate system Is actually carried out. There
are cells and at o32 prisoners, so that
q cells are now duplicated, and but 4SS prisoners
actually in separate confinement. The number OF
sides this. the cells being heated by steam from
boilers at the end OF each corridor, the inmates
OF adjoining cells can ana do carry on converse
non by means OF the pipes passing tnrough-a
defect 10 construction which calls Tor remedy.
Notwithstanding these imperfections In the ad-
ministIa alton OF the system, the Warden and In
ppecrors claim for 1t the achievement OF greater
results, both as q deterrent and reiormatory
agent than have accrued from any system OF con-
gregate Imprisonment. FIRST or all, they insist
upon tine fact OF a steadily decreasing lumber OF
recommittes, when compared with the statistics
OF other State prisons. The average OF ascer-
tanned recommtments In period extend
Ing over forty years is ten per cent. while
that Of all prisons conducted on the congre-
gate plan ranges considerably higher. In addition
70 this, the facilities for conspiracy being with.
drawn, neither riots nor escapes can De planned
NOR consummated. 'sThe prisoners, being sale
from each others recognition said to me one OF
the most interchangeable and successful visitors Of
the Prison Association .are secure from being
further demoraIized by each other while IN con-
nnement and when discharged those VINO wish to
lead honest lives are sale from the knowledge OF
more hardened Offenders, who would gladly lie In
wait to lead them back into crime"
''But what proportion OF those discharged have
you any good reason to suppose go cut with the
snecr has the prospect OF solitary confinement In
essening the commission OF crime among the dan.
gerous classes sn
I'm answer to your first question, my own eXpa.
rience, as we'll as that OF other visitors, goes to
show that almost all OF the men 60 out with the
desire to be useful and honest members OF the
community, and that, II we had the resources
at command to secure ior all steady employment
as bulwark against temptation, the percentage
much below the present rate OF recommittals. In
reply TO the second, while the population OF our
sity has been steadily increasing the increase in
the number OF convictions for serious crime has
borne proportionate rate, except In the five
years Immediately succeeding tine war. And there
ment OF the County Prison mas been so enlarged
Is to secure the carrying out OF the separate sys
TEN among tnem tne actual number oi convic-
lions OF women for CRIME has diminished"
"But II the advantages OF the separate system
are obvious why Is 1t that, after orty iour years
OF law calling lor ~ ~ has not Deen carried out
more luly In the Penitentlary. while In the male
department OF the County Prison, and throughout
hYn
"That comes from the difilculty of educating any
pubic 10 see. in matters that DO not affect each
one individually. that a wise expenditure at first,
however heavy 1T may have need 10 be, Is the
ruest economy. The first cost OF erecting prisons
suf1cient in SIZE and number 10 provide for sepa-
rate and individual treatment Is allowed TO
blind the perception TO the greater expense which
continual education OF the less hardened offenders
into determinately vicious courses, thereby per-
petuattng pauperism and crime. The associate
plan Tor punsning criminals is q mockery alike Of
Justice and wisdom"
Ny next INQUIRIES were into the educational and
industrial training o. the inmates OF the Peniten-
tlary AND what instruction in each OF these dlrec-
tions was provided lor during their term
sr sistsses 9'n and inquiry ssAs Show aDsas us
the usual results. Fully nfty per cent OF the ad.
are wholly ihterate. the remainder having learned
without industrial or business trailing OF any de-
Scrlpuon. Wlthln the last year, OF z2e men ad.
@itssd not more tnan one dozen are skilled work.
men. recent Grand jury In Phiadel-
bscr to lis chief cause.-The tyrannous I'lT rules
the interest u small oligsrchy Of skilled
workmen. forciby prevent the majority OF poor
any handicraif, mas recommended the establish.
ment oy the state or industrial training schools
nsese9 m Es y woua seem a
direction.
As to the trades taught in the prison, the War.
making cigarmaKng, cane seating ana black
smlthlng. lie adds that tney can employ more
persons at the first oil these than at any other
trade, and that it Is most easily pursued alter
wards. as man can open q small shop with very
little capita, and repairing snoes pays better
10 the ilirerate convicts instruction is given IN
reading. writing and ciphertng but AS the lessons
from two TO four lessons per montn can be gwen
% any one convict THESE. however, generally
prove sumcient, from the comparative length OF
sentences, and the desire awakened In the men
TO make the time not given to labor pass less
heavily. There Is large and wel-selected library
in the prison. from when they are regularly sup
pied, and devotional literature IL quite
freely and carefully dispensed TO them. There are
regular sunday services and monthly visitation
OF cells by the moral instructor ln addition to the
more frequent visits OF the committee OF the
Prison Association, eacn member OF which mas
gwen number OF men on his visiting list. As the
inspectors make the tour OF the cells twice week,
the warden daily, and the overseers thrice IN each
uay, " can be readily the term ''solitaryn
inference TO the confinement is TAR rom DeinR ap.
pucAoe IN any rigorous sense. In reality, while
Ine men are rigidly smut out from all ASSOCIATION
tnat might lead To iurther deterioration, they are
aoundautly surrounded by influences that may
sena 20 arouse IN them the aspiration and the VIII
lot improvement.
DOUBTLESS the satisfactory character OF the re.
suNs acnleVed by the individual treatment sys-
TEN are III great part due TO two special causes
Tue active Cooperation OF the PRISON Association,