The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-02-12
DAILY CLARION.
PRISON REFORM.
nducstton ne Factor IN RousinR thu
Dormant Minds of C0nvicts.

cd 10 evil living. an adequate motive
must be offered. AZ Hlmira the power
full motive is tho desire Of regaining
liberty. This would seem enough, but
IL is not always sufficient 20 arouse am
bition In sluggish nature. especially
when tho period Of Incarceration is fix
oil and Is short. This motive, then, has
70 be supplemented by others. A way
must be found ~ arouse the sluggish
body and interest the dormant mind. II
s sometimes long before this way can
be discovered. These ruined natures
have often very little that can be appeal
ed 10 successfully But do believe there
is In most men and women, however do
graded, the seed Of a better life. The
first step will probably DO the awaken
ing Of an interest In something outside
themselves; not purpose Of change.
but simply AN interest II may be dc
sire TO learn the alphabet, or an awak-
ened taste for reading, or littlo in
elination TO know something. II may
be a pride In personal appearance. or a
wish 10 got commendatiOn for good be-.
haviOr, or dawnng sense Of the agree.
ablcncss Of order. neatncss. cleanliness.
Or Il may b0 some pleasure In dis
covered power 10 do well piece Of
work. This interest once aroused. can
be- stimulated by various indictments.
slight rewards Of promotion. the fear Of
social degradation; and this path of do.
ing veil will become powerfully attract
i've whom IL is seen to be tho path. and
the only one, ~ liberty Bat this inter.
est in any form, with even the prize Of
liberation, can not bo depended on 10
last The will Of tho criminal Is weak
and vasclilating lie can not DO de-
pended on, he can not depend upon
himself, for continuance. Ito may fail
and fall again aud again. Tho only
remedy IN his case and it Is the com
mon case lis 10 keep him at IL, keep
him trying, until II habit Is formed, un.
al his will Il strengthened. until, in fact,
II is mentally and physically Just a.
easy for him TO live n normal. healthful
life as II was TO live disorderly life.
In the life that Is required OF him
under the Elmira system Il IL very diff
cult for II man TO sham The study. the
work, the behavior. demanded OF him
continuously almost preclude hypocrisy.
The noophyte may Try to pass himself of
as docllc, and even ~ piOus, but no de-
ccit lasts long under this severe, exact
ing, trying discipline. which Is applied
equally 81 his attention in the workshop,
his aleriness In school, and to all tho do
tails of his personal behavior and APP
poarancc, Tho requirements arc too
rigid. ~ The man does not put himself
willingly and honestly into harmony
with his position, ho is pretty certain to
break down and go back into tho harder
conditions OF prison life. These no finds
very unwelcome aftor tasto ~ some
thing better. aud he tries again, with "A
new resolution, The pressure Ia inces-
SAINT The incentive Of liberty better
apprehended ~ hc gets into normal
state, Is always inviting him. Mean
while habit Is doing Its work Ho can
continue longer in u straight course. Ho
begins to feel In all hi4 renovated physi-
cal aud moral nature not only the desire
for liberty, but q longing, however faint,
10 make u man of himself
Tho important thing, ms necessary In
this system to getting out Of conllne-
mont as 10 becoming u man. is tho for |
nation OF habit And here Is whore the
notion Of an indelcrminato sentence
comes IN as tho only condition of form. |
ing q fixed habit.
An in,leterminate sentohce Is the geu- |
tince Of a convict 20 confinement until |
In the Judgment of sgme tribunal he il
III to 80 out into society again, until it |
IS evident that he Is likcly to bo law
abiding, II person is determined up
pom n criminal LIZA the boat thing that
Gun b. dona ior him aud for society is
10 ooniine him whore lao can do no inis.
chief and whore his labor will pay for
hls keeping, 10 that he may not be an
expense 10 society nor terror 20 Il.
And, logically, ha should be confined
until there il good reason 10 believe that
he will be u seiaslpporung. lLw-abiding
member OF community. Now, tho diff
Guilty heretofore has been to dotermlne
when person might safely bo released
on an in tctnrmuatc sentence. Under
the present prison system, IL release de-
pended simply On good behavior, ON eN.
ternal observance Of rules, most Grimm
ais are shruwd enough to behave al.
mlrably. and to even offer evidence of
Christian conversion. in order to get re-
lease, Where is there a tribunal that
could pass upon his character Tho
Elmira system oompels person literally
GO work out his own salvation. Il will
take some men longer and some men
a shorter time to do il, that is, to acquire
such habit that for given period they
can stand perfect in study. in work, in
conduct Under our present rule of de-
terminate sentences there are many in
oorrigible cases. Probably there arc
some natures incapable OF being chang
cd to anything better. Let such stay
where they can pay for their living and
not injurc society, But it Is difficult to
say OF any man that no can not be
reached and touched by discipline,
mental and moral. for a long
time aud continuous; that it Is impossible
10 drill him, in years OF effort into
habit of decent living and liking for
an orderly life, It is impossible, psyche
and physiologically, for per
son 20 obey rigid rules of order and de-
cency. to DO drilled In mental exercises,
10 be subject to supervision for intelli-
gent and attentive labor, for consider
able length of time. and not form new
habits. not 10 be changed sensibly and
probably radically. 1t may be in one
year, it may be in ten years, but ulti-
matoly habits will be formed and the
man can not, without greater or less
effort, be what he was before 10 was