Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-27


less But by the mark system, over and above the
ordinary stimulus given 10 industry, there Is the
stu greater Involvement to show skill. aptitude
and Intelligence; for il being the convicis great
aim and object TO gain marks it follows also that
u is his desire 10 gain them as easily he can.
Hence he realizes readily the privilege OF being
raised above the level Of the unskillod laborers
around him. who are committed TO a regular
routine Of only the same mouotonous and irSsome
ton. Hence also, il he knows trade or handieraft
ne graSps eagerly at any chance of being allowed
TO ioiiow 1t and il actually 50 selected, he Is
careful TO put forth his best abilities for fear OF
relegatlon 70 the severe labor from which he has
but just escaped. In the same WAY those who
know no trade are disposed to give their best en-.
deavofs TO learn one; and, without exception an
who are still in the heavy ga IS viii labor on
with alacrity, hoping thereby 10 establish SOME
sort OF claim to PASS on atterward 10 lighter and
more agreeable work. The impetus thus s,ento
int ligent industry and to cheerful a4ccty only
those who 10 daily observation Of il can FULLY
appreciate We may add that & is claimed by
Other experienced observers that Che conycts under
the msrk lstem accomplish more than the same
number Of free worhmen could do. IL is perhaps
unnecessary TO say that no such experience has
been had Of convict labor under the contract or
Jesse system, under the forced labor system.
Voluntary work, done under the stimulus Of hope.
ana IN turtherance Of the end which the
results.
TIE third stage in the marx system Is that OF
conditional liberty, practically the so-called "tcke;-
ofleaye system. This stage has not been
thoroughly worked ont II IL f,nn5 in ,,-,ctic,,
that II IS very difficult 70 exercise any eFectual
caliv in large cities bDt son,4 ns,, r,j. t;,s ar
about 10 be tested which it is believed will obviate
the chief difficulties of the case In Ireland where
the Croiton system has been in operation for over
twenty i've yeags, the most satisfactory results are
claimed for It. lhcre another ST., is i,.,r,iat5
where the convict is tested to bis ability to resist
temptation bv being put on q sort of farm where b
works in the omen air. where there ar. Va, ,'s NO.,
Ia ..I..a e..
Ireventpr his cscare Or Wines in bis v,,rl- ~,
the State Of Prisons slvs thar in twenty wears
there have not been twenty escapes from this pro-
bationarv establishment and it must hs admitted
that This is yur, strong testImopy 10 tb, success ~
the reformation of the c1Dyicts Who are ahle tco
trol themselves Ga effsctuail,
ihO"N-s9iNh 'LA9Nls A AAtuN'
IL viii be observed that in the " mark system
the principle Of progressive classification is applied
This is the one only scientific plau OF classification
Il Is simple aud ctfec i've. No attention is raid 90
age nature of or me- number oi convictions. Or any
OF the old landmarks. The convict casSi6es HIM
self by lis own behavior He has it u his power To-
take the higLes. rank Ut first and 10 ksepit Ey-
efytAiug dCperGs upon his Personal d;slo-. ton.
The result is that there can be no mistakes or EN-.
tarrlssments in classification bus that the men who
are really MAXIM the most progress take the first
rank The whole mark svsttm proceeds anon the
same principle The convict is made the artit.r OF
lis own fate meastrabv. And the chief excellence
o. the system consists in this that it fosters aud
maintains in the prisoner those habits ot Industry Of
gefcontrol and OF perseyeiauce which are precisely
the best aids 10 permanent ref, rmation II ma, be
objected to tbe system tbSt il only kceps M the
habits Of industry until the desired aim-nane "
igee1 on-has Teen gained Out IN iaes 10 lmtlAulS
tnose haots ~ tnc CHARACTER ana uuepiscioueIy 20
the convict equips nm Win tendencies All OF WEltn
ihuSS operate strongly against any iuture paeNshd-
ing lhchnauons. IN England the county JAMS naVe
iatey oeeh transferred 70 the imperial luilsdletlon
and the system described Will It IS Understood, be
M n
prisons iJ Is one OF ITS advantages that II eaa be
applied TO any KIND OF penal or correctional insti.
tutlQns, ana tat IL IS certain 10 nave equally soou
results, no matter where applied
In AL the oid perai sNs'euls Inc tuhdamental error
was committed OF making tne pr son NE as uHertut
as possible rom the social NE. Inc mlntail sys-
tenn whicn mas unfortunately Deen SO tenacious,
and OF which we nave adumbiduonS IN our own
crude and barbarous prison methods was distinctly
hostile TO the development oil Individual ihGepenu-
encs ana seit'eohtrol among 'he PRISONERS. All ~
couia 40 was 10 convert tuem INTO machine 10
Cou'u utlli tHeu anu HAM .ieui tAtCu'e an luNt-
ments with automatic precision eut II was perfectly
iuthe III preparing 'hSin lor an honest Iie Wheh
they were ulseibrse,, inc roai ltqu!remenI was
fSSse',l "sI.eu SuOu N'NO - Nou,'1e Se t,'N'N'3
e.u CIV mn t ~" " tl IItNil,SS " ny
upon Inc miI'Ary system never Souiu ue aul-
tning out weaken the Set-Ieuahee OF tne eohNtt5
ana MAKE mem more nelpless ana Hiurul oi pu'-
pose. IL diu that, ana therefore Wie u a''ernal,u
VITA tne reign OF tne OhS plain, lhefe was VerY Mite
leu'euOh III 'he 9luVunt "i cllule No"' however
Tue HiltAiy iletuuuS Ste ulsGIeNaeu' anu lHvuA'
HoN yer aoadouvu ~ Vhls o1uuelF ~ . otns Ieai-
lleu more clearly every 9eI tu"' 'h'N are Ho- VilS
useless out miscmeVous
POLITICS VS. PENOLOGY.
Whoever undertakes, as we have DONE an exam.
nation of this great and complex question. must
experience surprise and probably perplexity on
finding that though penal science appears to nave
made more progress at an earlier point in some Of
the United States than almost anywhere in Europe
vet it has halted lamentably OF late wears,
l.-i rffl
advancing with giant strides. We have it is true
advanced peuOogists and the reports of our Prison
Congresses and our atonal Prison Association and
kindred societies have been full of the most useful
information and the nest interesting discussions.
But when we examine the actual PROCESS made in
the various State Prisons we are compelled TO re-
alize that there is everywhere an intangible oh.
structon to the free development of reform pruci-
pies that no matter how sound and thorough the
propositions of the penologists something inter
ieres to prevent the application of their views.
The promise in fact has far outstrpped the perform
ance n nearly every state of the Union, and while
England ami France and Germany AID italy, and
even spain, are evolving scientific and effective
penal systems and actually reducing the percentage
If crime in their respectye territories the United
States are NJ once showing all the world what to do
and refranincr from following the advice of their
own nenol5qists The callse OF this anomalous con
dition az things is NOT far to seek II is the bane-
ful and nsra1yzinr influence of partisan politics
mon the whole orSstion Of prisop atlmi istratiol,
'Dr Wines in his state OF p.isons" obscryfs.
Tho tvn master forces which have heretofors
o,,nosad and stil onnose the I,rn0rress Of nrison
i,sFno aTd REFORM in our co,,n,r,, ire ,IIiticai
irfnence oId instahilitv of a6ministrafion which
stand to each other In the relation Of cause and
erect In n mai ritv of States the nrisons form
n mart of the political machinery OF Inc state
The Interest of noliticians has mainly controlled
their management. while the interest of the neo.
ple and that of the prisoners which ara really
the same, have been practically ignored. With
every turn OF the political wheel there Is clean
sweep OF tue oihcefs IN chargc-the adherents oil
the defeated party marching out and those OF the
victorious party marching IN TO NIL their places.
The prison systems OF the Old World are not bur
dened with this weight, nor lmpeded with this
obstruction nor Is there anyth = SO lucompre-
hensibe to gentlemen connected with prison
affairs in those countries as this state OF affairs
among us. Under such system-that is to say,
system Of political appointments-the whole
theory OF our penal and penitentlary legislation
becomes well nigh nullity; and while inspection
may correct Isolated abuses and philanthropy,
relieve Isolated cases OF distress broad thorough,
systematic and above all, permanent reform, 10
impossible To such reform 1t is absolutely
essential that political control be eliminated from
prison administration, and that character OF
greater stability be impressed thereon. This IS
the language OF one OF tho most experienced pencil
ogists in the country OF one who mad half century
OF continuous investigation and observation IN the
prisons OF New YORK 10 rlpen ara mature MS
judgment and TO give weight to his conclusions. 1t
is also the opinion OF all who have gwen any atten-
tiou to the subject, and 1t Is most emphatcaiy the
opinion OF this commission: Ihere Is no other
factor IN the Whols suuJecG OF penal aomihs'rauon
OF equal importance WIN TINS, In TACT. IL iotms
the fUundallon Oh al reform WORK, ara the ques-
ton whetner proposed legislation VIII OF WI not