, 1875-12-12
PRI8ON.REFORN,

l1e IQu6latlHaD4e LIZ WINES, oSEIotaIy u
the n-Reform Association in this coun-
t1y, nnd United States Commissioner to Peni-
teniary Congresses abroad, is now stirring
up Europe into active preparation for the
next Congress, which will bs held at Stock
holm, August, 1877. On the 18th ult., he
delived an address before the Academy Of
Moral and Political Science Of the French
Institute on his favorite theme. The spe ech
contained some noteworthy facts in rel alton
to the work of the three years that have
elapsed since the first Congress met in Lon
don. The three Scandinavian Kingdoms
have adopted the plan known as 81 the Irish
system" by which good behavior On the part
of q prisoner secures: a certain proper
tionate diminution in his term. Sweden has
also established normal school for
the education of prison employees and
managers, and private effort he's resulted in
the establishment Of an agricultural retreat
for the reform Of juvenile criminals and in
the formation Of several societies which aim
to find honest employment for discharged
prisoners Switzerland is waking up to the
Importance of the work, and Italy has estab-
lished q normal school like that Of Sweden,
besides indu1ging in an unique experiment Of
hor own, which DR.. VINES thus describes
"Three agricultural colonies have been
founded, which are designed to receive those
who, after. serving at least half their terms in
prison, shall have merited this favor by their
good conduct In these Establishments all
the labor is agricultural. The inmates culti-
vate the vine, the olive tree, cereals.
They are taught agriculture theoret-
ically and practically. This
plan has produced the best results"
The reports from England, France, Belgium,
Holland, Austria, Germany, Brazil, and even
Spain and Japan, are also encouraging. In
the United States, three committees are pre9
pairing drafts of laws. with accompanying ex-
planhtory reports, for ~ complete State
Penitentiary SYSTEM. (2) system Of pre-
ventive and reformatory institutions.for chill
dren, (s) revised pennl code. The bills and
reports are to be submitted next year to the
annual Prison-Reform Congrsss. If this
body approve Of them, they will be laid be-
fore the Legislature Of every State, aud
strenuous effort will be made to secure their
passage.
It is evident thQt some good work is being
done by the unfortunately small band of
publc-spirited men who are laboring on the
question Of prison-reform. NJ. TH1ERs writes
to DR.. VINES: "Thia wise and humane en-
terprise interests all civilized nations; to
punish men in such way as 70 reform them
is the best of social works" The enterprise
is certainly needed one. Our Penitentiaries
are misnamed. There are no penitents in
them. Prisoners are apt to be worse at the
end than at the beginning Of their confne-
ment. The aim Of punishment, to be sure,
is twofold, to deter others from crime and
to reform those who are already criminals.
Our system is somewhat eficacious in the
first way, but scarcely at all so in the second.
Among the reforms We need are the q Irish
SYSTEM" or progressive imprisonment
some scheme whereby convict can earn some
thing for himself, and so not be thrust pen.
niless into temptation when discharged; bet:
ter instruction; and methods Of getting hon.
est employment for e1-priscnera.