The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-02-29
The Model Prison.

George w. Cables striking essay on
"The Convict Lease System in the
Southern States" is printed in the
February Century. He introduces his
powerful array of facts with the follow
ing clever statement of what prison
ought to be:
''Here and there in the United States
penal institution may be found that
fairly earns the pride with which it is
pointed out by the surrounding COM
munity. In the whole country there
may be four or five such. The visitor
to them admires the fitness of their
architecture.
"'Yes, the warden replies; this is
not house of pleasure, and so we
have not made it pretty. 1t is not an
abode of crime, and so we have not
made it ugly. 1t is not place where
men seek justice, and therefore we
have not made it grandiose and majes-
tic. But it is the house of chastise-
ment-of Christening punishment-and
SO it is made solemn, severe, and
calm
"The visitor praises the grave and
silent decency of all the internal APP
pointment.
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 or confusion than for strife.
1.-THE visitor extols the perfection of
the sanitary arrangements.
EYES, says the warden; when the
criminal was free and his life at his
own disposal, he took no such care of
it as this. He probably lived sort of
daily suicide. If he shortened his days,
the state was, presumably not to
blame. But If we by malice or neglect
shorten his days here, where he 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 distinctly de-
clined to tamper with it, and holds it
subject to be returned to his own keep
ing, at the expiration of his confine-
ment, in as good order as that in
which it was received, the inevitable
wear and tear of time alone excepted.
Can a state maintain its peace and Dig
nifty as it should, that commits breaches
of trust inside its very prisonsp'
1.-THE visitor remarks that wise be-
nevoleuce Is necessary even toward bad
men.
".But, says the other, it Is not
merely benevolence to bad men that
puts in these elaborate sanitary APP
pliances; it is the necessity of uphold
ing the integrity and honor of the
state
1.-THE visitor shows his surprise at
the absence of all the traditional APP
pliances for the correction of the re-
fractory.
".Yet be certain, is the rejoinder, q
meets every infraction Of rules. How
else could we have this perfection of
orderp But It Is q discipline whose
punishments are free from brutalizing
tendencies, increasing dispassionately
as the culprit's passions increase, and
relenting only when he has repented.'
''The visitor Is impressed with the
educative value of the labor performed
by the inmates. ,.ce...
Yes says the warden; send
man out from here with knowledge Of
. trade, and may be he will come
back, but the chances are he will not.
Send him away without trade, and
may be he will not como back, but the
chances are he will So, for. society's
sake-in the community's interest and
for its sAfety--these men are taught
certain trades that they cannot turn 70
bad account. We do not teach bur-
glars locksmithing.