The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-12-10
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1886.
PRISON REFORM.

The National Prison Congress re.
Gently met at Atlanta, Georgia. One
ofthe speakers was much applauded i'll
the course of the following remarks on
the system of leasing convicts:-
The politicians play with this great
question. On one side they decry the
system because it brings convict labor
into competition with free labor On
the other side they argue that the sys-
tenn is an act of justice to the overbur-
dened taxpayers. All other consider
ations are thrown aside and neglected
1t is easier to expose the evils of this sys-
tenn thanto corectthem. Butthis much
should be agreed on. This while ques-
tion must be taken out of p' ltics. 1t
must be divested Of all idea of pecunl-
airy gain to the state. Prison keepers
must no longer be politicians. This
reform should begin at the county Jail.
The administration Of prison afflirs
should not be permitted to be among
the spois to be distributed in return
for political favors expected or receiv-
ed. 1t was the honor of America to
establish the first penitentiary. We
can now learn much from the prison
systems of England. To manage a
prison properly requires as much skill
and training as it does to command
and direct ship of war. Under the
lease system every officer from the chief
of the state penltentiary down to the
meanest guard is politician. They
all constitute one panoplied guard OF
political clacquers. BY the time most
of them learn the meaning Of the
word penitentiary they are tated
out of office by the same beautiful
political system to which they owed
their appointment. The address con
cluded with an appeal to the people oi
the south to change this system.
AS the leasing out of prisoners is
practised in this country, the sentiments
just quoted deserve serious taking to
heart by our people. In making the
convict mere chattel from which tc
obtain a pecuniary return for the
state, the idea of reformatary influences
is in danger of becoming extlnguished
Another result here is notoriously
manifest in the loose discipline of con-
victs outside the prison walls. Prison
ers working for private contractors in
the city have been known to deliber-
ately enter and plunder houses in the
locality where they we're employed.
Members of the chain gang, even when
working for the Government, have
been allowed to 60 to the length OF
committing aggravated highway rob
berry. Then the escapes of prisoners,
Of which notable instance occurred
only this week, have been disgracefully
frequent. This is proved to be fruit
of the system elsewhere. AT the con.
gress In question statistics were given,
showing that the ratio of escapes was
five to the thousand in non leasing
prisons, and fifty-one to the thousand
in the leasing system.
1t is very doubtful if the system OF
prison administration in vogue in this
Kingdom could not be changed vastly
for the better. With the habitually
criminal classes 1t does not appear that
Imprisonment at hard labor has either
a deterrent or reformatory effect 1t
seems rather to be play to the Chinese
used to the rigid, summary and san
culinary justice of ''the howery king
DOM" while to the happy 60 lucky
native Hawaiian the term con the
reef is little more than holiday
among congenial spirits The system
is entirely too free and easy, and, be-
sides, there seems to be a grave defect