The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-12-26
Onme in England.
AND METHOD. OF TREATMENT.

1
Messrs. Charlton T. Lewis and H.
A. McCurdy, of the Prison Associa.
tion OF New York, have recently ex.
amined the prison system which now
prevails generally throughout England
aud Wales. They report that among
its most distinctive features are
l. The gradual disuse of short
terms of imprisonment, substituting as
far as practicable other punishments in
the place of brief sentences, and the
improvement of the jails by employing
all inmates in some profitable form of
labor.
2. The classification OF convic,s,
according to their conduct, after hav-
ing served period Of at least nine
months in solitary confinement with
coarse food, hard bed and other severi-
ties. This part of the discipline is SO
dreadful that it is believed to have n
powerful deterrent influence on the
criminal classs No one is sentenced
to penal servitude for less than five
years. After the first period of severe
discipline, the prisoner enters upon
another phase of prison life which is
less exacting. BY good conduct earn
ing certain number of credit marks,
he may be promoted to another class
with greater privileges, and by similar
efforts to third. In this way the
length of his term may be considera-
bly, shortened. TO be mulcted of this
time, or to be degraded to lower
class, are considered the severest pun.
ishments. Flogging cannot be admin.
istered by any officer of the prison, but
only by the visiting Justices
3. The labor of the convicts is EN-
tirely for the Government, the public
account system. The labor is of the
greatest variety and is not conducted
with reference merely to immediate fl
nancial success.
The government of the prisons is
entirely in charge of the Secretary of
State for Home Affairs All officers
from the highest to the lowest are APP
pointed solely for their qualifications,
not one of them being dependent on
political influence.
This system, which is largely the re-
suit of the labors of Sir Walter Crof-
ton, Is the elimination of the work of
prison reform during the last forty
years. What is the result of all this
thought, discussion and selfdenying
toll ? As the new state of things did
not become general until recently, of
course the full effect cannot yet be
measured by statistics. But the fig
ures as they are given may fill us with
astonishment. England and Wales in
ls44 had population of over 16,000,-
600. Taking an average of FIVE years
about that time, we find that there
were every year 1898 persons sem
fenced to penal servitude and 1878
sentenced to shorter terms in local
jails. England and Wales in 1881
had a population of over 25,000,000. If
criminal convictions kept pace with the
population we should find in that year
over 5000 penal convictions and over
25,O0O shorter sentences. Instead of
this we have in 1881 only 1925 penal
convictions and 9,266 shorter senten-
ces. IT the general administration of
justice is as efficient in the arrest and
conviction of criminals in our day as it
was forty years ago, then there are
more than 10000 persons in ordinary
occupations unsupported by the State,
who would have been under the old
system actually confined in jails or
prisons. When we lament the preva-
lence OF crime we ought to bear in
mind these facts. 1t is evident that
there has been great amelioration of
the condition of the worst in Great
Britain. Much of this is owing to
the general improvement in the condi-
tion OF all classes, TO benevolent and
religious activities ana to other causes.
But much also is due, doubtless to this
prison system, which is singularly tree
from the sentimentalism which has
tended to make punishment mock
cry.