Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-06
A CONVICT SCHOOL.
RESULTS OF A SINGULAR EXPERT
MENT IN PRISON MANAGEMENT.

The System Pursued In the Reformatory
at Elmira, N. Y.-How Thorough and
Lasting Reform Is Obtained-The Intel
ligent Criminals Mentality.
A most interesting product Of convict labor
is in the shape Of a little book Of 100 or
more pages, grouping together number of
papers and reports regarding the singular
experiment in prison management which has
been in progress for some years at the FL
mira reformatory. 1t is printed by the pris-
oners themselves. Comparatively little |
seems to be known by the general public re-
garding the Elmira system. Only such con-
victs are sent there as are between the ages |
of l6 and 80 and have never been in state |
prison before. They are sentenced for an in |
definite term, subject to the discretion Of the |
board of managers, but cannot be detained |
longer than the maximum period for which |
they might have been imprisoned under the
law. If, for example, man has been con-
victed of burglary, he may be kept In Ell
mira for ten years, but no longer, because
that Is the maximum sentence under the
law. But if the management, or rather the
superintendent, Mr. Brockway-who is prac-
tically the head of the Observation-Disclosures
from his record there that he will lead an
honest life on emerging, he may be dis
charged at any time after one year
To obtain his release he must get perfect
| record in three branches-for conduct zeal
| and efficiency as workman, and proficiency
and diligence asa scholar. Inthis latter field
is found the distinguishing character of the
| Elmira system 1t is, in fact, school for
convicts, and the results are surprising. On
the average, it is said 60 per cent of the con-
victs released from state prisons find their
way back, but thus far so per cent. of the
discharges from the Elmira reformatory dur
ing the eight years the experiment has been
continued are believed to be permanent
reformations The full significance of this
will not be understood unless it is remem-
bered that in the newer prisons every i'm
provement has been introduced, not incon-
sstent with proper discipline, looking to the
health and general well being of convicts.
The Elmira system proceeds upon the
principle that thorough and lasting reform
can only he obtained through decided
change in tho intellectual character of the
convict Christmas dinners, the privilege
Of reading good books, and an occasional
holiday, which are conspicuous among
the &nehorating features of life in vari-
Gus prisons, are not believed to furnish
sufficient radical treatment. At Elmira the
convict is not invited TO read. He is COM
pelled to study and to work over his books
as he does over his bench in the workshop,
because it is only by making a perfect record
as scholar as well as in the other two
> branches that he can shorten his sentence
The schools are held in the evening after the
eight hours Of labor required in the shops
, have been performed. The subjects run as
far up as the higher mathematics, American
and English history, politics, English litera-
ture and political economy. One of the
classes was in practical ethics. This began
with only seventy pupils, because the con-
victs seemed averse to the idea. Yet inter
est in it grew so rapidly that the member
ship increased to about eight hundred The
discussions turned upon practical questions
in the morality of daily life and had no bear
ing upon religious dogma, so called.
The course in English literature became sc
popular that the class increased in less than
a year from sixty to more than 500-five
sixths of the entire convict population The
account given by the school secretary of the
growth of this course in popularity reads al
most like fairy tale. No regular class meet
| ings were held except at examinations, but
the study was followed in private by eacf
prisoner, with helps and suggestions through
circulars or in talks with the instructor. Tit
history of English literature Was taugh
l. through leaflets prepared by him, while th'
texts of the great masters were read by thl
.h haf,, r,aI 1fvrth I
portion of an author for study. As with tn
subject of practical morality, English litera
ture was regarded at the outset as a nuisanc
by the men selected to form the class. The.
looked upon it as another method Of makinl
it difficult for them to earn the marks whicl
would be necessary to secure a release. Man,
showed great distaste for the study, an
some exhibited positive anger. Yet it wa
not many months before the corridors OF tn
prison any night showed a curious spectacl
-convicts poring over the Canterbury tales
the story of Evangeline, and even pages c
Bacon and Browning.
The experience of those engaged in thl
work is directly against the theory that ii
tellectual development only increases th
capacity Of the criminal for wickednes:
q They find, on the other hand, that even th
SO called intelligent criminal seems mental
deficient as soon as he passes out of the groov
in which he has been accustomed to exerci:
his cunning. He takes narrow and distorte
views of life. The process Of intellectual Gu
ture which is carried on in this institution
l. they believe, broadens the convicts min
until he is lifted out Of this narrow groo'
C. and is able to see the wisdom of good moral
The experiment is unique and may have
most important influence upon the future
penal science.-New York Tribune.