Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-01-24
eureka Dailn Sentinel.
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY "a, 1855.
EN-CONNICrS.


Warden Garrard, in his report to the
Legislature, under the head of religious
services at the State Prison, says
The only reformation to be looked for
in a prison is the personal elevation OF
a convict in his own estimation, and
know OF nothing that is more likely to
and him in this direction than to have
good people so act as to convince hun
that they think him worthy Of their kind
attention.
Mr.. Garrard thanks the ministers
OF the gospel and the ladies who
have attended the prison Sundays, and
have prayed and sang for the entertain
ment OF these outcasts of society. The
effect Of these devotional services, he
thinks. will lead them to a @iuster appre-
citation Of their rights and duties as citi-
zens.
Without detracting au5ht from relig-
ious worth of the services referred to at
the State Prison, or Understanding the
earnestness Of the church folk who were
kind enough to spend an occasional Sab
bath hour or two in devotional exercises
for the diversion Of the convicts, still it
is very doubtful if all the ~preachments
and psalms they listen to ever do them
any lasting. moral good. The reform OF
the convic5 is a question of a more prac-
teal sort. His restoration to society, to
whatever extent that is possible, depends
largely, If not altogether, upon his opPor-
t~unities after he is released from the PEN
itentiary. Those with whom crime is a
monomania or are otherwise hardened in
vice, we do not speak Of. They are be-
yond the reach of saving grace or any
other sort of salvation. There are those
in the prison at Carson, however, who
may become good citizens at the explra-
ton Of their term Of Imprisonment. They
are men whose incarceration may be
called accidental. Their crime has been
the result of passion or a combination of
extreme circumstances, which may never
recur. In other words there are plenty
of men called good citizens who
owe their liberty to fortunate accident.
As strange as the assertion may seem,
there are good men to-day in the
State Prison of Nevada. 1t is to be re-
GREETED that there are not means afforded
them in Nevada TO come back to useful
ness and responsibility among their fell
low men, such as are devised in large
communities. We're such an institu-
ton Of Michael Dunn, in New York City,
possible it would 10 more good in Il
State than seems to be accomplished by
all our churches together.
There are nearly 5000 persons con-
fined in the three State Prisons OF New
York, aud the number OF convicts dis
charged from these institutions and peni-
tentiaries exceed 1000 a year. What
becomes of them? Michael Dunn, him
self an ex-convict, can answer for 206 OF
those discharged from prison during
1852. They have been received into his
House Of Industry and Refuge for Dis
charged Convicts, at No. 40 East Hous-
ton street, an Institution which reports
a net profit OF 81, LAG on the sales Of
goods made by its inmates during the
year. The extreme difficulty an ex-con-
Wet experiences in obtaining honorable
employment is we'll known, and Michael
Dunn's institution is a temporary home
for such men while they are seeking
work. If it is possible to induce ex-con-
victs to abstain from criminal practices it
is by the employment Of means such
as have accomplished such good results
in the hands OF Mic hazel Dunn, and his
work deserves to be made known in or
der that it may receive adequate sup
port.