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

| standing
sble to obtain these qualifications through the iot
tery Of partisan politics is capable OF believing that
4 Professor OF Mathematics or OF creek coud De
chosen oy primary election OF tas etocus IoSu
confer upon its nominees the capacity 10 perform
surgical operations OF the most delieae ehaaaeter
a great deal of prominence has been given to the
| Question of making prisons self-supporting. But /
| there is much falacy in the arguments commonly |
ced in this connection. The only real test OF the
success OF penal administration is the diminution
/ of crime 1t is undoubtedly possible to make |
prison sell, supporting If all other considerations
are bor linated TO that it can be accomplished
I But the result will be the sacrifice OF re- |
! form, and the consequent perversion OF the |
prison machinery from its legitimate and most I'M
| portant uses. Ano though the reports oil such |
prison may their face to show that the State
is conducting that part of its business prosperous
the cures which make these exhibits are mslead-
ing. For the cost of penal administration is not to
be diminished in the long run by merely getting the
utmost possible profit out uf the labor OF the con:
victs but by the return OF the largest proportion OF
these convcts TO habits of honest industry. The |
self-supporting pr on may be doing nothing to
minimize crime, and its inmates may be returning
again and again to serve fresh sentences. AS rule
there can be no doubt that when the desire to make
prison self supporting is supreme the moral effect
of the system disappears altogether, and IN the end
| the State loses very much more than 1t gains. |
| Economy is Of course imperatiyely demanded, but
this again is of the arts which would he taught
in Normal School for training prison officers
almost invariably produced better economical re.
suits than that about TO be introduced at San
Quentin, but nevertheless it is little known how
many failures in manufacturing enterprises have oc
CURED there since the prison frs established.
We have inquired into this matter, and have ascer
tanned that the following long list represents the
past failures in manufacturing industry at the
State Prison Iron Safes; Foundry and Stove
| Castings Flows and Agricultural implements 1.-TWO
attempts); Boots and shoes (two attempts); Coop |
ering; Wagons and Buggies; Brooms; Stocking
knitting; Manufacture Of Sewing Machine Needles;
Shirt making Needework by machinery; House
moldings Packing boxes, of wood and paper.
Every of these industries has been tried with
prison labor and Abandoned to the loss OF large
aggregate amount of capital, and to the injury both
| OF convicts and contractors. Some idea may be
gathered from this exhibit of the past failures to
the difficulty which threatens the experiment about
to be undertaken.
That experiment could hardly have been com
menced less auspiciously. quantity OF machinery
has been purchased in England with SO complete an
absence Of pecaution that when it arrives here it
must be paid for before it is delivered that pro-
vision whatever has been made for testing its eff
cheney that provision has been made for setting
| it up at the prison by any other than uLskillsd
labor; that when it is set up no guarantee has
been obtained that will work. that if tshould prove
an utter failure there are no means of compelling
the manufacturer to take it back, or to make good
any deficiency
it IS indeed, possible, by return to the methods
so clearly prescribed by the Constitution, to avert
at least in some measure the serious and multi
piled evils threatened and caused by the iueXcus-
| able abandonment of the State penal administration
to the politicians. But this is the only possible
means OF economy and reform. AS the case stands
the labor OF the convicts at San Quentin is about to
he committed to process OF manufacture requir-
ing constant and intelligent supervision both inside
and outside the prison, and this supervision is
apparently to be intrusted to chosen for their
politics alone, and possessing little Knowledge
of commerce and manufactures as OF penal science
7 unayoid ,be presumption is that the experiment
will be conspicuous failure unless radical changes
10 the administration are forthwith instituted
INDETERMINATE SENTENCE.
~ Of ,o1.
question OF penal discipline proceed to the
question of sentences 1t is evident that
when proper system of labor has been determined
upon, and every arrangement mlde for the appca-
ton of reform machinery the convict the utility
of these preparations must be practically deter
mined by the length of his Imprisonment. 1t may
be set down axiom in penology that short SEN
fences to be deprecated 1t is impossible under
them to apply any reform system, and they conse-
quently have no deterrent effect, and in prac.
tice only enhance the expense Of maintaining ha-
hitua criminals, while confirming the latter in their
evil habits This reasoning applies with equal force
to juvenile reformatories and adult penitentiaries
The first necessity in penal science is sufficient
length of time in which TO operate. And the diff
Guilty of arriving by arbitrary methods at a sats-
factory standard for criminal sentences has led many
penologists to advocate indeterminate sentences.
This form of sentence was first proposed by Mr..
Frederic Hil and warmly defended ard very ably
| expounded by his brother, Matthew Davenport
HILL the well known Recorder of Birmingham A
inewhat similar theory approved by Captain
Maconoc lie, the difference being that he proposed
to sentence men, not to a certain term in time
but to earn certain number OF marks.
In the latter case the length OF the sentence
depended entirely upon the industry
and good conduct of the convict, and in the indie
terminate sentence very similar result would be
attained. The arguments advanced in support of
the indetermnate sentence appear to us to be very
strong. In the first place it is conceded that the
primary object OF punishment is the protection OF
society. Ii the second place experience shows that
this end can be best attained by the dimlnution OF
crime. IN the third place il seems to follow that
Society has the right to accomplish this protective
aim by the most efficient methods. In the fourth
place it is apparent that the most efficient method
must be the reformation of the offender. in the
fifth place it is argued that the offender ought be
retained in prison until his reformation is com
pleted. There are many and high authorities for
the proposition Thus DR.. Despine, of France a
most distinguished penOogist, goes far to say
that the OF this principle will become necessity
wherever really refornatory system of prison dise
pine comes to be generally introduced and pursued
sober earnest. II is obvious that if the protection
Of Society is the ultimate end Of Imprisonment and
if the convict goes out OF prison the same as he en-
tered it, this end remains unaccompished. To shut
a criminal up few months or years is not to make
him any the less criminal. He will return to his
plundering when he is liberated and win continue to
be thorn IN the side OF Society. To prevent this
relapse into evil habits there is conceivable re-
course but that OF systematized reform agencies
and to apply them with anything like precision it is
evident that practically unlimited period is re-
quired
A criminal is a morally sick man. and it is neces.
sary TO cure him. In many respects he may be COM
pared to the intellectually sick called the insane.
We commit the latter to the asylum matter Of
course, and never think OF naming term OF con-
tinement The rational assumption is that the pa
tent Will be kept in the asylum until lie is cured
IL would seem no less rational to make this assump
ton in the of the criminal, and it would seem
to be just to him also. For 1t is evident that
! under existing methods sentences imposed in a
/ very unequal and haphazard manner. The law lays
down certain broad limits to time and to char
acter Of offense and within these limits the Judge
exercises his discretion But it is VIGOROUSLY the
fact that while hardened criminals are often brought
up for sentences conviction If ofenses which per-
NIT only light peualties young offenders often
! perfOrce sentenced, under similar conditions to
terms which lar too severe for the real criminal
ity Of their breach OF law. Now if sentences
indeterminate it IS apparent that the young criul
inals would work out their release much more
quickly than now, because all their real innocence
OF mind would tell in favor of them; where's the
habtual criminal would receive pr0portionately Sc
we're punishment, beisg in effect made liable under
this principle 70 cumulative penalties.
1t is not to be supposed that proposition which
involves radical change in established practices
I and laws will End speedy acceptance. All the in
! stincts Of conservatism which work so powerfully
for the retention even Of existing abuEes, will fly TO
the support Of the old methods. Mr. is l. to be de-
MED that the Introduction of indeterminate SEN
fences, to be safe or elective, must be preceded By
the separation Of prison administration from poll
tics. To introduce such principle under the pres
ent condition Of things would indeed be most dan
gerous, for it would give 10 the political managers
Of the prison the most terrible machinery for
trolling and abusing the prisoners, and while they
would be Invested of responsibility they would be
tempted in many ways TO make evil Of the
extraordinary powers conferred upon them. Indeed
it may be considered out of the question to propose
such change as this seriously until the first indis
pensab,e reform in penal admin tration has been
accomplished
But it is in order to point out that wherever in
this review have been led to the Endorsement or
advocacy Of any important principle, the chief and
in nearly every the sole obstacle 10 Its adoption,
has proved TO be the connection Of the prison system
with politics This is in fact the great. impossible
! barrier 20 progress and reform, alike in prison
management and IN the transaction Of pubic bust
ness. , he usidous and cemoralizng influence Of
politics meets us at every II battles and sets
! aside constitutional requirements. II completely
! DESTROYS the efficacy OF arrangements intended to
promote economy. 1t insnultes itself into the
most subordinate matters, thrusting partsans into
responsible Offices ng physicians to be selected
. from other than professional reasons, en-
couraqng carelessDeSs, leading to responsibility
and extravaganza, and Incompetence in every de-
partment. The curse of political interference is
apparent in every instance OF wrong, error, and
, ilegality, which it has been painful duty
to expose and condemn in this report and eshould
have missed the great lesson Of the investiga-
ton Il we failed Ia impress upon your Exceeucy
the absolute necessity Of graduating this blghtng
influence, before any genuine or permanent reform
in prison administration can become possible.
PRISON EDUCATION.
The question Of prison education is one which