The New York herald., 1874-11-04

and water diet alone. without the dark CELL Ia
frequently sufficient. In cases OF refusal TO work,
wnen "moral suasionu fails single trial oil
the "idler's cell" has hitherto proved an adequate
persuasive. The cell having no furniture but four
oare walls the macontent IL placed IN IL with
three blankets. TIN mess pan. a moderate dal.y
allowance OF l0oo, and lei L. the unDruken en-
tnls amply Sufficient or twentv-iour nvurs, ou on
tne SECOND day II Is apt 10 grow burdensome, ann
conunuance OF II through the tnird osy mas
always sufrceu 10 reconcile ne ldler to WORK au
the ordinary routine ul prison lie.
AS the separate system proposes, as OF secondary
importance only TO the first great aim OF all pun
ishment, the deterring from crime. the making
Of use III and citizens out OF the cllmi-
mails who come under It's reign. every endeavor Is
made to arouse and cultivate sell.respect. TO THIS
end. IN addition TO habits OF regular work, enforced
Cleanliness, and elementary instruction "nea s,a
trade has been learned one-nan OF the
product or MS labor In excess y!
a given tasK, never made oner0us. The same end
was kept in view IN the construction OF the prison.
The cells by II ieet. their greatest height be.
ing 10 eet css aney % ars w wter aWass At sSs ur,s
oners command by turning spigot. The cell
yards are $ py 20 leet
IL is sometimes asserted tlat the expense Of
nalnlng TINS PRISON Is greatly IN excess of tnat
demanded oy those on the associate pan, out sta
ustcs prove this view o. the TO oe incorrect.
Tie inspectors ort that TOR several years past the
DAILY expenditure lor maintenance o! eacn prls-
oner has averaged thirty -iour cents. Tne amount
Of cary expendi ure. compared in 1870 WITH tnat
OF several other prisons. Is decidedly IN iavor Of
!he Eastern M pen.teaay cue oat pr,ao ons case,
sdered 70 be one OF those best administered IN
the country. With q population ol ia convcts,
to Si22. 2.265 ~. Those OF the Pennsylvania
Pentenllary. with population o. sSs.
prisoners wnen discharged are returned to the
county whence they came, and one item OF expen-
diture IS The allowance to each man Tor that pur-
under fifty mlies. $40 when IT exceeds mat The
Prison Association supplies the released convict
with suit oi clothes; and. whenever 1t Ia IN the
power of its members. secures employment for
nim-li possible, IN ADVANCE oil his coming out.
tnal he may have no idle time wherein to encoun-
ter temptation.
Great care is taken to secure the health OF the
prisoners; possibly the greater from tue persist
ent charges brought against II by Its opponents
tnat the separate system Is peculiarly liable TO
objection IN tnat respect. II has been already
rlgntiuliy called solitary confinement. But wher-
ever the health, physical or mental, OF any pris.
oner Is ascsrtained 70 be suffering rom TOO great
another prisoner. the selection being made
with great care. The report OF the Resi-
dent Physician distinctly claims that .
large proportion OF the convicts who are received
III impaired Ieallh are discharged cured, and that
the Improvement OF those received IN impaired
diseases rarely make their appearance, and when
they do the second door OF separate building,
whose ground moor Is used as o carpenter shop. Is
IN readiness hospital, well ventilated and
easily heated, 70 receive them. Of one uniavor.
and serious mention; that large proportion OF
the cases OF serious Ill health and OF such
ueathS as occur III tne prison are ulTect-
ly traceaDle to the habit of secret per-
sonai vice. But he gives no statistics by
winch TO decioe whether sucn cases are In ex-
cess OF those in prisons differently conducted.
The total OF the health report gives no vantage
ground to the theory that tue separate system Ii
open 10 the charge OF inherent cruelty or injury.
The communication system Is on trial IN this
Penltentiary as well Is In those OF other States.
The prison of1cers. The members OF the Prison
Association, the inspectors and the Board OF Pub
nc Charities all seem inclined to report In Its
Iavor But the last named body recommends
longer sentences in connection Win II, policy In
direct opposition to that believed BY inspectors
VINO nave been long connected with the Pentten-
tlarY TO be most beneficial.
On the result Oi your correspondents researches
not only IN the Eastern STATE Pcnitentary, but m
the County Prison and otber correctional institu-
tions which can mOr9 than alluded to here,
the strongest impression received Is that the pre-
ventlon OF crime, not its remed,, 10 what society
has gravest need to attend to. We need to cut on
the supply Of criminals BY enforcing common school
education. but above all industrial training on the
younger members OF the neglected classes And
III Its deterrent and preventive aspects, even
more than IN its reormat0ry one, the Pennsylva-
MIA system, so lar as tested certainly presents
results achieved greatly in advance OF the congre
gate prisons when are, from their nature, acade-
mics oi crime from wnicn the youthful offender
comes out, through evil associations, lar worse
than when he went IN.