Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-10-14

lie recommends u fro proof building for
tho safe preservation of many valuable books
in the Stare Library, as the present. room Il
too small and that an enlargement of 1t is i'm
pra cticable. X
The work Of the board of Agriculture, Man
utnctnro and Mining, meets his hearty mp
prevail and he recommends larger appropria'
ton than the Board ask for. aud also that the
State &c ologist be made an ex.oiicio member
of tho board. ~, ..
The report of the commissioner Of the In
sa ne is commended to the careful perusal o
I ho legislative body, and especially that part
Of the report referring to the enactment OF
safeguards against improper commitment,
both to the asylum aud the county jails.
The q overnor next considers the subject o
State Prison and County Jails. This. in oul
is the most important topic con
sidered and 1t is so well and ably treated thai
We give the full text. He says
think it may be safely asserted. after the
experience Of nearly = century, that the
operation of our system of prison discipline
both rs pructiced In the State prison aud In
the common juis, in It's effect upon the prison.
prevention of vice aud immortality has been
II failure; that the prisoner, from the effect
OF his Imprisonment, instead Of having become
u reformed aud better man and otizan, with
inclinations towards virtue, has become dis
cOuraged, hardened and too often hopeless y
fixed III u criminal course Of life. Too often
has it happened that the day of his discharge
has witnessed u repetition of his former crimi'
nal act. or some moro heinOus crime.
This, to my mind, Indicates that our system
Of PRISON discipline Is radically wrong In prin
ciple. The State has,and can have no feelings
Of revenge towards an crring citizen, Her
conduct towards him should not DO such Ne
to lead him to feel he is an outcast from her
care and protection. Neither should II be
such us would indicate Disregard for his
criminal act. Her Treatment sliOuld DO such
as evinces the utmost nbhOrance aud desta
tiun of his crime, but ut the same time the
gre Attest regard aud ten,lercst solicitude for
nim us u man and as u citizen.
fear that while the State has been most
active in showing abhorance of crime, 1t has
been lacking in earnest efforts to save the
criminal from his crime IT, manhood aud good
citizenship. When ATTY person, old Or young,
IL fully convinced that be is an Outcast from
society, and that there is no hope Of his ever
rcGaining the good opinion anu estcom of his
he is irrevocaOly lost, virtu-
GUS life. Hope Is tho great stimulating motive
to action and to striving tor better things,
When this is crushed out. the man once Dad
is bad beyond recovery Tue tendency of our
system OF prison discipline, to my mind, is to
Danish from the cunvicts mind all hopes of Il
return 10 u virtuous life. Consider tue treat
lnent OF the State towards this CLASS Uf per-
SONS.
yoneg man is accused of the COMMISSION
of crime. lie is at once arrested and thrust
into the county Jail. Noperson on behalf Of
the State visits him, save tho jalor to pass IN
his meals three times a day, or to lock him in
his cell. or the Stale's Attorney to inquire
whether he wishes to plead guilty OF not
guilty" Not u book, nor newspaper does
the State furnish hh with which tO while
away the tedious hours, If the jailor. out OF
kindness provides reading matter tor his pris-
uners. it il of favor and not of right. His as
sociates may be of any degree OF cilmluality
1t is the common receptacle for all accused OF
The commission of crime within the county
and awaiting their trial, as well as the place
Of punishment for minor Offences. In ulL'
lighted, i'll ventilated room, with nothlhy 10
10, not even, when transferred to the State
Prison for safe keeping, on the order VI the
Governor allowed to work Though requestln.
t he passes his days aud nights AS best he
san. brooding over his hard lot. planning ways
TO escape, or listening to the recital OF OBJ
scene stories. or the criminal life and crliiil-
lal EXHIBITS of his associates. And yet he Is
rot u convict. He is only an accused. n hu
his is the attempt of the State to prevent
he commission Of crime, most frequently inc
'tf,pring of idIeness, by compulsory ldlenes''
nut soured and hardened if convicted Of
minor offence. he returns to life OF ldleness
II iail: and if of Il higher crime, put to haru
abor in the State Prison. The right OF the
State to incarcerate him springs tiom the
light of Misrepresentation. By all over act he
las manifested the possession OF character
which endangers the rights OF others'
,ower to invade the rights of others, not
lone during the term of his confinement, but
permanently, by reu owing tue criminal incliiia-
ion and disposition, aud to deter others from
he commission of crime. 1t would seem tnat
t right he should incarcorated so lon3 us no
possessed of the criminal lnclInanatloh am
isposition, and that the State should be ac
i've in it., endeavors to dispossess him OF these
The court is left to deter
line the time Of his incarceration as best
may, with little knowledge OF his former
te less of his criminal tendencies, anu VI
he length of time which will be required 10
ladicate them. In the State Prison he Is con-
ned in his solitary cell. or driven under Keep
rs to his tasks is allowed no com inuhicatioh
18th his fellow Enthusiastically any with
is keepers he may have few books. II able
read, but receives no instruction except On
lc Sabbath-a little from the chaplain. From
Is arrest to the close OF his sentence. the
tate against whom he has Otfunued, ana
hich has laid her heavy hand upon HIM, mas
Ut extended to him Il helping Ii md, ana mas
,arcely spoken u cheering word. Is 1t IL mai
II Of wonder then, that he hroods over MS
d lot, us he views it, feels that the hano
the State is not only against the cTtme
hich ne has committed, but against nan
aG all she cares Tor him is to maze him grind
her prison house, amt that he comes Ifon
5 Incarceration worse Instead vi Dettec
an
The experience of the past century, both III
II State and in other States-for our state
vs. done as well, and, perhaps, better thah
any Others-teaches. think, very plainly
III fOrcibly, that our system of prison dlscl-
inc demands a radical revision that the
III should not be q place Of imprisonment !Or
;bt Or minor offences that that class OF Of
huers should be sent to y work-house ~ De |
ta0lsh6t in connection with the Reform
hool, Ill which the school aud reform ee-
ent should have IA prominent place that
q Jail should be owned and controlled ny
Q State, and should not he used Tor the de-
htion OF persons charged with all classes OF
lines hut to one should he assigned those
laiged with one class of crimes aud to anOth-
: those charged with another class OF crimes,
zen having Tor inmates persons of the same
gree Of crlmlnality, as nearly as practicaDie;
at each should De furnished with well-se-
cted library aud some current literature,
q Ill each should be kept school, not vi
eness ana vice, but Of learning and virtue.
rhaps there should he provision by when
use awaiting trial, who suuuld request it,
ND labor i'll The work-hOuse and receive "a
rtlon VI their earnings.
lie PRISONERS Should he devided into class
accoruing to the character winch they man
81 while under u COURSE of discipline. A
1t VI each day should be devoted by the
pcrs to lnstructing the prisoners III learn
ana Iii virtue. anu the rest to labor, not
contractors but for the State. In shOr
) state should put forth must active ana
nest cndeavors, from The arrest vi the ac-
'eu To the end OF the Imprisonment OF tile
iVfct, to reclaim him from u .lIe of crime to
NC OF Write aud che State Prison shutiiu
longer ue All Institution for the returua
Il, as We'll as the punishment, of ali Ofen-
$. ruth ne reformation all left out. IL may
tnaG To effect sucl d cn tuso viii |
! money, Shall we stop to balance a few
usand paliry dulIars in IetsrnlIus whether +
~lil tescue inan from crane, aad lead
l On to u vlrtuous life, Or hold him irrevU-
'ly III the chains OF vice "
earnestl, recommend a thorough revision
our system OF PRISON uIsci l,line lii the uIrcc- ~
Il Indicated anu l commend to your care ="
cunsi ucratlun the reports Ut the Directors
superintendent Of tine State Prison.
--=@-- "