The Osceola times., 1884-03-01
THE MODEL PRISON.
what IT ought to he. - Some Valuable
Suggestions Gieen.

penal institution may be found that fair
" earns the pride with which it Is
pointed out by the surrounding COM
munitv. In the whole country there
NAV be four or five such The visitor to
them admircs the fitness Of their arch
itecturc.
Yes the Warden replies, this is not
a house OF pleasure. and so We have not
made it pretty. il Is not an abode of
crime, and SO We have not made it ugly
II is rot place where men seek Justice,
and therefore We have not made it sran-
diose and majestic. But it is the house
of cha,tiscment chastening punish
ment-and 50 it is made solemn, severe
ard calm.
"Thc visitor praise, the grave and
silent deccncy of all the internal APP
poinuments.
YES responds the warden; the
peace and dignity Of the State are here
asserting themselves over the person of
the prisoner who has violated them;
there is no more room here for merri-
ment and confusion than for strife
"The visitor extols the perfection Of
the sanitary arrangements.
"'Ycs,' SAYS the warden; when the
criminal was free and his life at his own
| disposal hc took no such care as this
He probably lived a sort Of daily suicide
| If he shortened his days the state was,
presumably, not 20 blame. But If We,
/ ly malice or neglect, shorten his DAYS
/ here. where hc is our captive, We bring
upon the State both blame and shame.
/ For his life is in our custody, just aS the
clothing is with which he came here
/ the State, through its courts, has dis
tinctly declined to tamper with il, and
nlldS it sui iect to be returned to his own
keeping. at the expiration Of his conhne.
mcnt. in as good order as that in which
it was received, the inevitable wear aud
tear Of time alone eNcelte ]. Can a
State maintain its peace and dignity as
it should tnat commits breaches of trust
in its very prisons?
The visitor remarks that wise be-
pcvolcncc is necessary even toward bad
men.
But says the other it is not merely
bcncyolpncc to bad men that put in
these elaborate sanitary appliances; it i-
/ the necessity of unfolding tie integrity
and honor of the State
"rhc visitor shows his surprise at tn,
absence Of all the traditional appliance.
for the correction Of the refractory Yet
be certain is the reioindcr, a discipline
sure. prompt and clicctual. meets every
iufraction Of rules How else could We
have this perfection Of Orde| But it l.
Ills ipline whose punl-hmcnt- are lr,,
roA hrutaliLiuE tendencies, incrca-in,
dispassionately a. the culprits passion.
increase, and rvlentlng only when h'
has repentcd.
, The visitor is impressed with the oU
ucative value Of the labor performed by
, the inmates.
YES SAYS the warden, send mar
q ont from here with knowledge Of trade
( and maybe hc will not ,omc back, bu
the chances are that hc will Send hin
away without a trade, and maybe h,
, will not come back. but the chances ar,
Z he will so for sOcicty'- sake-iu tn,
T. community's interest and for its safety
T these men are taught certain trades tha
. lbev cannot turn 10 bad account W,
! do not teach burglars locksmithing.
+ yet the visitor takes a momeutary
! alarm.
l. You put the hou>cbreaker and ia,
t robbcr, the sneak thief and the pick
pocket in open competition with homes
: men in the community around thcrE
% Exactly respond, the other 'tryin,
10 live without competing in the field
of productive labor Is Just the essence %
;hc crimes for which they were sen
here. We make o short end of that
The visitor looks with pleased inter
% est at the statistical records of the clerk
office.
} I'VE rould not call our duties don,
, without these, Is the wardens response
: These are the KEYS to the study Of tn
rauso and prevention Of crime. Bythc-
10 we weigh our Own results. Bv these WI
{ uncover not only the convict aud hl
, crime. but SUciety's and the States owl
sins of omission and commission, WnO.
fruits are these crimes and these ,rim
lnal-.
{ After all at length the visitor say-
{ tell me one thing more Here where
prisoner is safe from fire and plague an,
r. oppression and temptation and evil com
e pauiunship, and is taught thrift and skill
and only 10 submit to Justice and ohc,
! right rules, where is his punishment
/ How is this punishment at all?'
Md the warden makes answer vi.
e question for question. Had you q de
.urmcd foot, and an iron mold Wcr
made to close around it and press it int
B. symmetrical shape and hold it SO, wlul,
YOU ask where is the agony The pun
lshment here is the punishment of de
formed nature forced into superficial
e symmetry. 1t is the punishment tha
B. ! captivity is to unrCStraint. that suhOrdi
, nation ana enforced -eli-runtral are {,
ungovcrnci passion and inordina., van
/ | lty and pride; that routine j. 10 ,uc low,
p of adventure; that dccuUra l- pjhu Ioy,
of orgies; that Temperance. ls g. tine luy,
. / of drink; that loneliness d. TO the -uCia
n and domestic impulses; that solitude ana
q / Self-COmmunlOu are to romOr.e II i
\ the losses and restraints 81 hanishmert
, without one of its liberties Nothin.
, tempers it hut the repentance and 10
! torn which II induces, and these tempe
, II Just in degree as they are genuine an,
' ! tl,,r,,..-k