The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-10-17

AS Charles Dudley Warner

country. AS Charles Dudley Warner
writes: 1.-THE proof of this is in the official
statistics of jails and penitentiaries. the de-
mand on legislatures and city councils for
increased accommodations for criminals, and
the visible condition of city slums, and the
scarcely less disgraceful small manufactur-
ing villages. The science of penology,
that is the rational mode of dealing with
crime and criminals either for prevention or
reform, has made very little progress in the
general public mind. Certainly. then. the
attention of thoughtful people should be
devoted to this matter"
In dealing with the criminal two main
purposes must be the guide.
1. To reconstruct him. That is posi-
BILE, however degraded and hopeless his
case may appear. Jerry McAuley is a
proof of this. And this must be done in
prison. One who had wide experience
on this matter writes. 1.-The opportunities
of reforming a criminal while in prison
are very great. if they are rightly used"
One who was chaplain for four years in
the Detroit House of Correction, declares,
Il know of no place so hopeful for winning
men and women back to the knowledge and
service of God, as properly conducted
prison." We can readily understand how
this should be the case. The solitude, the
isolation from old associations that fOstered
wickedness. the counsels and eXhOrtatiOns
which come through. religious teachings,
moral reading, all conduce to make the
prisoner to think on his way, and to turn
to the Lord.
2. But suppOsing him to be reformed in
heart. the testing time comes, when he re-
gains his liberty. And here the second
great need comes in, viz: that the diff
cultles. which now Obstruct a better life
shall be removed or lessened. No wonder
that so many who profess to have reformed
IN prison, go back to their old life. 1t
would be strange if they would not. Let
us draw parallel case. We will take a
revival of religion in town. Fifty young
men are converted and proclaim their pur-
pose to lead a Christian life. Now let
these be scattered in twenty mining towns
and villages. where saloons, brOthels. and
gambling abOunds. but where churches
scarcely have an existence: or let them 20
as pioneers and settle on ranches, away
from Christian helpers. How many of
these would fall away? Would we ex-
pect one in ten to remain steadfaSt? And
so these reformed prisoners go out; but into
what churches can they get; how can they
find employment among Christian men, in
store. or shop, or on farm? Those safe
guards and announcements. which keep
fOur-ffthS of the converts of revival from
falling, are wholly lacking in the case of
these prisoners. Here an indispensable
work must be performed. or we shall con-
tinue to have released prisoners returned
again and even again to prison.
The Church. which controls society, must
not regard the criminal as Cain, but rather
as sinner who may be saved. And she
must treat him, as she does the sinners
who come into her fold-as sinners who
should be nurtured after they are converted
just how to do this may be difficult to ar
range. but the Church is not to be deferred
by obstacles. Let her resume that work.
which she performed so nObly when the
Roman empire was falling, and when the
incurSiOnS of the barbarianS made prisoners
by thousands. An imperial decree of the
year 400 imposes on bishops. the duty of
ascertaining by regular prison visitatiOn.'
that no one was detained there unlawfully
and that the prisoners were humanely
treated. One bishop ransOmed $4,000
prisoners: with gold that had accumulated
in his diocese. A canon of the year $40.
requires that the prisoners be visited every
Sunday by the ArchdeacOn, that their mis-
cry may be alleviated by compassion, ac-
cOrding to Gods commandments. On the
gravestone of Eugenia, Christian woman,
were inscribed these words: with her
treasures she delivered prisoners from un-
just fetters. "-The Christian at Work
Many things are reversed in Australia 1t
is summer there while it is winter in Amer