The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-08
sOLTriRY CONFINEMENT
The Kind Of Dark Ceiis that are TO he Oco1
pied by our worst Criminals.

"Thcrc is not one dark or solitary coll
properly constructed in the state of New YORK.
and there never has been. but there will nrat
each of the STATE prisons before year" said
Mr. Sinclair Tousoy. who has been prominently
identified with prison reform for doz, "a yolrq
past. and who may be- dcnomineted sort of I'M
official right bower TO State Prison Suporin-
tcndcnt Pllsbury. lie wont on: Tho primo
essential for "a punishment cell is not duranNss
1t is silence, utter solitude. Tho inlracfahio
fcon. incarccrated in a duns,o set apart f1r
the purpose Of breaking his stubborn spirit Il
revolt should never. until he stu cumbs. ben r..
mtted TO see "a human face. not even that Of ms
keeper; should not hear human voice should
not II it is possible TO prevent it. hear any
sound that may tell him Of life or motion in tho
world without the walls surrounding him. lie
should be reduced. as nearly as may be-. to tho
condition Of living dead man. Now. W. haya
no cells to meet these requirements. ] do noe
know Of any in the country that do perfectly,
not even those in the Eastern pcnitcntlary
OF PENNSYLVANIA AT Cherry lIill. Our so-oulri
dark cells are simply ordinary ones, with two
or three Close. thick. extra doors. They may
excludc light but they do not keep out sound.
The iclon Gagged IN one Oi Thorn can hsur tho
tramp Of footsteps in the corridor without. th,
voices of persons passing and requesting. on
even understand conversation near Nis lnlr.
ami through th' vcnillutors oun hear th" words
o. Ipns ~ other cells. and b' heard ~ tii.u.
That ia all wrong. Ii % rlnts him still O. i,"l
thIt hn is a part of the world about him, and ~
occupy his mind with sprruintions upon what
others ar" doing, when hc IS. 'uid nave nothing
elise to think about bat what be ought 60 do,
The stiffness in VIII "a he is on-ulfrd shuullle
that ui the grave. beyond fhe pus- lbilitvO roach
hy any sound cNcnut pprlnts the rumble oi a
pass lug railway tram or tl' crash of thunder.
sounds thut w. cannot guiteshut out aitu-. tli.r.
Tia p. again. in our pros no dark COILS mo
water The iclon sro- hun, ot course. II ~
only glimpse az "a lWlnrs iamihur ana not
much loved face. hut stlll. to a man suprp- /
To- hc buried alive from his KIND. that TX . ST. Mt
denl TOO much. II gives him 9th f. o'cu ..l,i0n
Tor Thought tilnn himself. ana delays NJ sn'-
cumnngt 10 tho rclornaiory process. Nhhi W1
should have IL a mechanical arrangement by
which the ncco ssari, $ of lite Guild pe nut with II
the prisvuors reach nols girssly and without 20
apparent Intervention of n human hand. In
other words. make tn" severity Of such cpuilne-
ncnt so great that its mcr'iiul effect would ho
more quickly bringing the mon to terms.
" The Legislature a.aNc authority some ton
years ago Tor the clnStru ton Of such coils ~
are now cont mplNtsd, bat nppropratod no
money Tor the purpose and none mas been
forthcoming until tue Legislature this last wln-
ter st apurt "a sum lent sam for the purpose
or course th,s' solitary coils VIII hnye to by
cr' ted utsido of the prison. In sepnrae block
devoted to them alone, an iitted with such ap-
plan'g aus may be- deemed necessary g s'rurl
tothc fullest extent the ends in view. The pro-
cisr plan has not yet been q termined In al ~
details. but Capt Pilshury II working on IT and
VII! soon have i completed. Then ne work
Will b. pushed forward vigorously. At Sing
Sing 1t IL probable that a portion Of the prcsnny
wonen's PRISON will Ice rcmolccd and devoted
to this us 40, soon as they grt rid ~ the icmup
conViits there. as has already been resolved
upon At Auburn and Clinton prisons therG
Will have Ia Ice separate buildings. What Ia 50
changes ana crcrtlous VIII cost cannot set bb
arrived at but must depend upon circum-
stances.
When the system Is inaugurnted il is uroha-
hlo that. IN "a majority OF cHSps. simple solitary
confinement. in its perfection Will hr found
sufficient punishment. without rcsOrtlug to tho
additional total exclusion ol light Perhaps IN
some Of the cells provision Will be- made by
which tho prisoners can occupy themselves
with some hundicruit That viii be in !, ord
with the general purposr Of Capt. Iilayury
system tn great central Idea OF which is 10
form in the men tho habit Of labor to keep them
employed. not merely Tor the benefit of tho
State. but Tor their own good. In these cells
men Will be kept. not merely until they promise
to behave themselves If l"t out. but until tho
warden thinks il proper to give thcm creator
tary confinement and the dark cell. but am
inclined To think that It is a most Ell raciOus
means of reducing the worst eases 10 suhlec-
ton. Spanking them with a paddle acts moro
quickly in breaking them. but believe II in
cites in IN Dir minds spirit OF hate and desire
Tor revenge. and is not productive Oi such per-
manent good results rs the stern, cold rcpIes-
As the reporter lelt Mr. Touscy. there noated
through his memory the lines:
From hs birthstone bed. At break OF day
Awakiug the devil L. rouc.
TO see hIs little snug nirm oil cnrth
And 70 .. how IA. sso IS On
-. Ashc passed through Bath-nelds
He saw "A - tarN cell,
Ana The de- sullcd,
For II pleased him well.
As "a hint 10 improve his prisons in hell