National Republican., 1877-08-24
PRISON ABUSES.

PRISON ABUSES.
The shocking circumstances which at
teuded the death Of the late DR.. BLANCH.
ARD brought 10 the knowledge Of the pub
lie the tact that no provision is made by
the laws of the District ior furnishing per- |
sons confined in the stntion-houses with |
food or medical attendance. Persons ar
rested on Saturday are liable TO he locked |
up until Monday morning TO suller the tor
tures Of hunger or disease unless relieved
by the unrequitcd charity Of police officers. |
Moreover the cells In which the prisoners
are confined are constructed without any
regard to sanitary considerations, the
theory seeming TO he that safety is the chief
thing to be thought OF, and that the health
and comfort of the prisoners are matters OF
little consequence. In short the laws regu-
latinp the station-houses of this city are
barbarous and disgraceful to the nation
which rs responsible for them:
In considering this subject II is well
enough 10 remember that good old maxim
Of the law which teaches that every man
Is presumed to be innocent until he is
proven guilty. Our system of station
houses makes punishment precede trial,
and II the trial results in an acquittal what
adequate remedy is there for the suffering
aud injury to health which may result from
Incarceration without food, pure air or
medical attendance ii needed?
But even for the guilty the system is wrong,
for, as sturdy Sir EDWARD COKE in his
commentaries declares, a prison IL place
of safe custody, not Q place of punishment
However great the olense may be with
which the prisoner is charged, or even con
victed, the principles of our modern en-
lightened Jurisprudence require that he
should he kept in custody in such a manner
shat his health may suffer no injury. This
requirement demands that all prisoners
should have clean apartments, well lighted
and ventilated and that they should be
supplied with an abundance Of healihitt
food and medical attendance whenever
needed. In short, in describing what n
proper prison should lie Us To structure and
management we describe just what Our
station-houses are not.
II Is true that a very humble and unfor-
tunate class of persons are generally con
fined in those prisons, but they are never
theless human beings, and entitled to all
the sacred rights of Humanity. II is really
astonishing that not outstanding the lab0rS
Of HOWARD and other phiianthropists 80
many abuses of prisons and aims houses
still exist us are from time to time brought
to light by the wntcbiulness OF The public
press.
Several years ago the people Of Chicago
learned with horror that the poor IN their
county alms.h0 had been deliberately
starved to death by the dozen. Even ia the
enlightened State of Massachusetts il wa:
discovered, year or two ago, that at The
Westborough Reform School boys had been
punished by cruel aud unusual methods
which caused great bodiIy suffering, and In
,,y lt.I In, ,lnntI, fIha
shameful condition of Affairs which DIR
CHANCELLOR found IN tho alms-houses oI
Maryland is fresh Ia the minds of our read
ers. The Notwithstanding details of recent
disclosures OF this character would be suili
cicnt TO Ill many columns,
These Facts show that necessity tO
waichfulnesS IN regard 10 the management
of prisons and aims houses still exists
When liOwhRD ut the risk Of health ant
life explored the prisons ~ Europe his reve
la,ions filed the Christian world with sucl
horror and indignation ns resulted in grea
reforms The subject engaged the attention
Of such eminent statesmen rs Sir WILLIha
BLACKSTONE EDMUND BURKE, JEREMY
BENTnAM and Others, and ihIongh thei
efforts many wise laws were enacted 70
the regulation OF prisons so rs 10 provide
for the Comfort and health Of their 0ccli
DuntA No dftltle upon 'lllN oHDNl'
fail TO mention with the highest honor ilr
name Of ELI2ARErH FRY, whose mission l.
the female prisoners IN Ncwgate did y
much for the alienation Of the suffering
and wrongs OF her sex.
Not tho least illusir riOus Of the name
identified with prison reform is that OF ii
THOMAS f. BUXTON, who published WOO
Oh tho suhleCt, In which he advocated III
most humane and enlightened doCtIine
lie held that prisoners had certain wei
defined rights US we'll as society, and tho
even If convicted Ut the most serious crime
they were entitled TO light, pure mir, whol'
some and sufficient food, medical attend
ancs and protection from cold, Will
society has right 10 demand that prisoner
shall Ia securely confined they should M
he made worse either in body or chaIacte
by their confinement Their evil habit
should he restrained, and education an
religious instruction provided for them.
The history Of this subject shows ,h0
thers IL constant tendency 70 relapse ini
cruel and negligent practices in the trea
ment OF the criminal classes, owing to u
fact that the mass OF mankind regard the
n, enemies 70 society, and cars little Ii
their fate, But the obligation to protect Il
weak aud the unfortunate cannot
eyaded, and, therefore, the press, as Il
guardian Of the friendless, should alwa.
expose the wrongs which oppress them.
Therefore, although tho men who are CO..
fined In the station.house' Of this city ma