The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-02-10
PRISON REFORM.
Education as a Factor in Rousing the
nnrrnanf Minds of Conyicts.


1 is not always sufficient TO arouse ann
Dition in sluggish nature, especially :,
when the period of incarceration Is fix 1
I'd and is short This motive. then, has
to be supplemented by others a way
must be found 10 arouse the sluggish "
body and interest the dormant mind 1t
is sometimes long before this way can '
be discovered These ruined natures
have often very little that can be appeal
ed to successfully But do believe there e
is in most men and women, however de
graded. the seed of a better life. The
first step will probably be the awaken !.
ing of an interest in something outside
not a purpose OF change, b
but simply an interest. 1t may be de
sire to learn the alphabet, or an awak-
ened taste for reading, or a little in
clination to know something. 1t may
be pride in personal appearance, or a d
wish to get commentator for good be-
havior. or a dawning sense OF the agree t
ableness of order, neatness, cleanliness
Or it may be some pleasure IN a dis :
covered power TO 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 we'll will become powerfully attract
i've when it is seen to be the path. and
the only one, to liberty. But this inter
est IN any form, with even the prize OF
liberation, can not be depended on to
last The Will of the criminal is weak
and vascillating He can not be de-
pended on, he can not depend upon |
himself, for continuance. He may fail
and fall again and again. The only
remedy in his case-and it is the COM
mon case-is to keep him at it, keep
him trying, until a habit is formed, I'M
til his will is strengthened, until, in fact, |
it is mentally and physically just as
easy for him to live a normal. healthful |
life as it was to live disorderly life.
In the life that is required of him |
under the Elmira system it is very diff |
cult for a man to sham. The study, the |
work, the behavior, demanded of him |
continuously almost preclude hypocrisy.
The neophyte may try'to pass himself of
| as docile, and even as pious, but no de-
ceit lasts long under this severe, exact
no, irving discipline, which is applied
equally to his attention in the workshop,
| his alertness in school, and TO all the de-
| tails of his personal behavior and APP
| pearance The requirements are too
rigid. If the man does not put himself
| willingly and honestly into harmony
with his position, he is pretty certain to
| break down and 90 back into the harder
| conditions of prison life. These he finds
very unwelcome after taste of some
thing better. and he tries again, with
new resolution. The pressure is inces-
SAINT. The incentive of liberty, better
apprehended as he gets into a normal
state, is always inviting him. Mean
| while habit is doing its work. He can
continue longer in a straight course. He
begins to feel in all his renovated physi-
cal and moral nature not only the desire
for liberty, but longing, however faint,
to make a man of himself.
The important thing, as necessary IN
this system to getting out of conhne-
ment as to becoming man, Is the for
nation of habit And here is where the
notion of an indeterminate sentence
comes in as the only condition of form
ing fixed habit.
An indeterminate sentence is the SEN
tence of a convict TO confinement until
in the Judgment of some tribunal he IS
lit to 90 out into society again, until 1t
is evident that he is likely to be law
abiding. If person is determined up
pon a criminal life, the best thing tn at
can be done for him and for society is
to confine him where he can do no mis-
chief, and where his labor viii pay for
his keeping. so that he may not be an
expense to society nor a terror to it.
And, logically, he should be confined
until there is good reason to believe that
ne will be a self-supporting, law-abiding
member of community. Now, the dith-
only ba,,otofOra hoe J,aop e. Joto,-,,,; :, .,
when person might safely be released
on an indeterminate sentence. Under
the present prison system, if release de-
pended simply on good behavior, on ex-
| ternal observance of rules, most Grimm
ais are shrewd enough to behave ad-
mirably, and to even offer evidence OF
Christian conversion, in order to get re-
lease. Where is there tribunal that
could pass upon his character? The
Elmira system compels person literally
to work out his own salvation. 1t will
take some men a longer and some men
a shorter time to do it, that is, to acquire
such habit that for a given period they
can stand perfect in study, in work, in
conduct Under our present rule of de
terminate sentences there are many in
corrigible cases. Probably there are
some natures incapable of being chang
ed to anything better. Let such stay
where they can pay for their living and
not inlure society. But it is difficult to
say of any man that he can not be
reached and touched by discipline,
physical, mental and moral, for long
time and continuous; that it is impossible
to drill him, in years of effort, into q
habit of decent living and liking for
an orderly life. 1t is impossible, psychic
logically and physioiogically, for per-
son to obey rigid rules of order and de-
cency. to be drilled in mental exercises,
to.be subject to supervision for intelli-
gent and attentive labor, for a consider
able length of time, and not form new
habits, not to be changed sensibly and
probably radically. 1t may be in one
year, it may be in ten years, but ulti-
mately habits will be formed, and the
man can not, without greater or less
effort, be what he was before he was
subjected to this process
This is the education of which speak;
this is the education which does not fit
or incline man TO be an expert crimi-
nal, but which makes a disorderlv life
III his case improbable. And he him.
self determines when ne is fit to go out
of confinement and out of discipline to
Wnlcn ne mas peen subjected. His re-
cord shows it, for his record shows
whether he has acquired new habits
} and is really changed. OF course some
tribunal must pass upon this record and
upon the whole appearance and ten
dency of the man. but its work is compare
: lively easy, and liable to few mistakes.
After release, of course. something must
) be done to place this man. who has ac-
! CURED habit of and liking for cor
rect life, in a position in community
! where he has chance to maintain hlm-
} self. He can not be turned loose to all
temptations in face of the contempt
! OF the world. But philanthropy can
!, provide for that as part of the system
which has given him, by long discipline.
the habit of decent living. And it will
happen that when the community under
stands this system, the finding employ
: ment for men who have been in State
prison will not be so difficult as it is
! now.-Chdrtes Dudley H'dr7ser, ia Har-
per's Magazine for february.
History ofthe Bicycle.
In the year of 1916, saws the Philadel-
phia Record, Baron Won Drais construct
| ed CIlriollS vehieia oapS;S4sDr ~ 49,