The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-06

This, TO my mind, Indicates thai our system
OF prison discipline Is radically wrong In prin-
cple. The state has, and can have, no feelings
OF revenge towards an erflng citizen. Her con-
duct towards him should not be such as to lead
him to feel that he is an ou,cast from her care
and protection. Neither should IL be such as
would indicate disregard for his criminal act.
Her treatment should be such as cvinces the |
utmost adherence and dctestation OF his
crime, but at the same time the greatest regard |
and tendcrest sollcitude for him as man and
fear that while the state has been most &C.
tive in showing adherence OF crime, it has |
been lacking N earnest ,a emorts to save the
citizenship. When any person, old or young, |
Is fully convinced that he is an outcast from So
ciety, and that there is no hope OF his ever re-
gaining the good opinion and esteem Of his fell |
low citizens, he is irrevocably lost to vlrtuous
life
ton and to striving for better things. when |
When this is crushed out, the man once bad Is |
bad peyqnaI 6ecov ,scyn e tonqency o. our sys
Danish from the convct's mind all hopes Of a |
return to virtuous life. Consider the treat |
menU OF the state towards this class OF persons. |
young man Is accused OF the commission of
q crime. He is at once arrested and thrust into
the county jail. No person en- behalf Of the
state visits him. save the Jallor to pass In his
meals three times day, and TO lock him
safely in his cell, or the stateS attorney TO In
qulre whether he wishes to plead guilty" or
does the state furnish him with whice to While
away the tedious hours. II the jailor out OF
oners 1t Is OF favor and not OF right. His asso-
cates may be of any degree of crlminallty. 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 for
punishment Of those convicted OF minor OF.
fenceS
In dlm:llghted, ill.ventlated room, with
nothing to do, not even, when transferred to
the state prison for safe keeping, on rhe order
of the governor, allowed to work, though re.
questing IL, he passes his days and nights as
best he can, broOdlng over his hard lot, plan
ming ways OF escape, or listening to the recital
OF obscene stories, or the criminal life and
criminal exploits OF his associates. And yet
he is not a convict. lie is only an accused. And
| this Is the attempt OF the state to prevent the
| commission Of crime, most frequently the off,
| BRING OF idleness, ny compulsory idlenessl At
irnCtn he Is tried. If acquitted, he goes out
| hardened If convicted Of minor offence, he
| is returned to his life of idleness In jail; and II
| OF higher crime, put TO hard labor In the
state prison. The right of the state TO incar
| ccrate him springs from the right OF selfpre-
| servatlon. by an overt act he has manifested
| the possession of a character which endangers
the tights Of others. lie is incarccrated to de-
| others, not alone during the term OF his con-
| finement, but permanently, by removing the
criminal INCLINATION and disposition, and to
| deter others from tho commission OF crm0
| 1t would seem that Of right he should remain
| ncarCerated so long as he Is possessed OF the
| criminal inclination and disposition, ana that
the state should be active In its endeavors to
disposses' him OF these characteristics. The
court is left to determine the time of his In
|
ledge OF his former lie less OF his criminal
tendencies, and of the length OF time which
will be required to eradicate them.
| In the state prison he is confined In his soil
| tary cell or driven under keepers to his tasks,
is allowed no communication with his fellow
: men-scarcely any with his keepers; he may
have few books, If able TO read, but receives
no instruction, except on the sabbath a little
from the chaplain. From his arrest to. the
| close CT his sentence the state against whom
he has offended, and which has laid her heavy
, hand upon him, has not extended to him Il
helping hand, and has scarcely spoken a
| cheering word Is 1t q matter OF wonder, then
| teat he broods over his hard lot, as he views It.
feels that the hand OF the state is not only
I against the crime which he h committed, but
against him (; that all she cares for him is tC
mako min Grind In her prison house, and that
he comes from his incarceration worse in.
stead of better man?
, The experience OF the past century, both In
! our state and in other states-fOr our state has
done as well, and perhaps better. than many
otheis-teachcs, I think, very plainly and fore
= IDLY that our system OF prison discipline de-
mands q radical revision; that the Jail SHOULD
. not be a place OF Imprisonment for debt o.
l. tenders should be sent to work
}. house to be established in connection
with the, reform school, In which thu
| schoo, and reform element should have a pron
!, inent place; that The Jail should be owned ant
il controlled by the state, and should not he use,
Il for the detention of persons charged with al
classes Of crimes but to one should be assign
A | ed those charged with one class Of crimes an,
' TO another those charged with another class O
A same degree OF criminality, as nearly as rae
u icebie; that each should be furnshed with
II wen selected library aud sono tunent litera
r. tuIc, and In each should be kept school, no
OF idleness and vice, but OF learning ana virtue
h Perhaps there should be provision by while
:, those awaiting trial, who should request II
g could labor IN the work-house ana receive
: The prisoners Should be divided into classe
r according to the character which they mauifes
n while under course of discipline. a part {
" each day should be devoted by the Keepers /
h ln5tructiDg the prisoners In Tearing and In VII
o tue, and the rest to lab-r not for contractors
i but for the state. 10 short, the state shout
n put forth most active and earnest endeayors
= | from the arrest OF the accused TO the impriso1
n meht OF the convict, TO reclaim him from III
n OF crime to life OF virtue and the state prise
e should no longer be an Institution "for the IT
if formation, rs well as wen as the punishment
} OF all Offender" WITH ne reformation all lef
Il change Will cost money. Shall we stop to ba
"a ancc q few thousand paltry dollars In determil
ing, whether wo Will rescue man from Grim
"A and lead him on TO virtuous life, or hold hi
70 iSeyocably In the chains OF vice?
!. earnestly recommend thorough revision
our system OF prison discipline In the dlrectio
+ slderation the reports OF The directors and 81
n perintendent OF the state prison.
STATE REFORM SCHOOL,
T. 1t is o pleasure to turn from the prison to th
p consideration Of this topic. Although not pei
It sonally acquainted with its operation an
q working, from all sources hear Ii commende
II as refOrmatory institution. The credit OF II
o success Is due to the wise and considerate a(
+ ton of former legislatures, together with III
faithful and efficient management Of the OIL
g. GERS or the institution. You need not be urge
" TO aid by ali needed legislation In perfectin
II the great work SO auspciously entered upon.
q The reports Of the trustees and the superb
e tendent fully inform us as to the condition
c, the institution. Its wants and requirements.
would recommend the making Of all appropri.
n plans which they may have suggested. ver
q lure to suggest whether 1t would not be wise
~ all alterations and engagements TO have
n view the furnishing facilities for dividing III
inmates into classes so rs to be able to classlf
" them according TO the degree OF discipline {
II correctional treatment required.
g. LEGISLATION.
10 1t is doubtless true that we legRlate to
Is much. This naturally results from our systep
2, Of enacting laws. Legislators serve their brlt
IS many subjects Of legislation men entertai
: widely difieiin1 Views, but each is conhder
Il that his owa Us correct. Hence the lrequer
IN 1t rarely happens that tho revision OF an entir
subject IS attempted. but a single provision
v here and there, Is changed 10 meet the varyin
= | views OF Inherent legislators, which results |
q | an inharmOnlouS whole.
c, think that . legislator Should be fully Pei
q suaded OF the absolute necessity for q chang
Is of the statute law before he should vote for ii
i,ee alteration or amendment; and then only iC
A. such alteration or amendment as VIII cleaFl
10 | remedy the evll. lIasty legislation 1, Alway
- dangerous. The original constitution mad
A. special provision against It. 10 not only giy
a the governor and council the right to prop1s
IA amendments to laws which HAD passed the al
# sembly, but, II the amendments were not COZ
n CURED In, they had the right to suspend tn
~ passage OF the bill until the next session OF III
2 legislature. This was wise provision and II
+ spirit ought TO guide legislation under GU
"a | present system.
"a The sessions are too short to originate, mi
r. ture and perfect legislation touching large an
| varied interests.s such legislation must usua
n ly contain MANY provisions, and be more q
/. less intricate. There IS not time amid III
: | rush OF the business or The session to prepar
;e and nicely adjust tie different provision
'f necessary to render such law applicable an
"a Just 10 all the interests likely to be affected
~ Usually, too, the mon elected 10 tho legisls
ture are, as they ought TO be, taken from III
busy calllngs OF life, who have Lad no time I
o mature any perfected system Of Legislation
y which would be applicable TO and affect man
q | interests. Properly % mature and prepar
3 such legislation is q work OF time and study
and often requires the collection OF facts AM
\ statistics. hminently OF this character are III
\ \ laws for the assessment OF takes, and for tn