The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-30
SOME PRISON SYSTEMS.
VARIETIES OF TREATMENT IN EU-
RoPEAN COUNTRIES.

uc,boJs of working and Furnishing Grim
iu,I.-I,eIrlum Seems to Have the Most
sensible and Humane systcm-New Cal
cdonia.
Tho British penal system is, though in
some respects the most equal, unquestion-
ally the most severe The misdcmeanant
sentenced to two years imprisonment with
hard labor cannot obtain single days re
mission by good conduct, and he IS not
allowed to spend in prison the smallest
fraction of the money which he earns. HIS
choice OF ,corl. il also limited mostly TO
matmaking, tailoring and shoemaking
He may be a skilled mechanic or artist, or
"A matchmaker, turner, carver, engraNer'
miniature painter or draughtsman - he
will find no employment for his talents
within jail. and may, in fact, be set to
work which will spoil his hands, ana Tor
time cripple his power Of earning MS HVing
after his discharge. The felon condemned
to Dcnal servitudc stands in the same case
with respect to work He may earn pro-
motion TO second and first class with small
improvements in his diet and eventually
ticket-of-leaye by good marks; but unfit
ness for the task allotted to him or i'll
health may render him incapable Of earn
Inc the daily maximum Of eight marks,
and thus place him at disadvantage beside
old and cunning prison "hands." In all
foreign countries the discretionary powers
allowed 10 prison governors for the treat
ment Of their captives are much greater
than in England
CHAOS ~ FRANCE.
In France political changes have pro
duced so much haphazard legislation that
the whole penal system has been reduced 10
chaos. In lS13 il was resolved that con
yicts Of the worst kind should be trans
ported TO New Caledonia There they
were to be employed in public works or
agriculture, and after probationary
period they were 20 receive allotments Of
lands. with permission to marry female
convicts or sweethearts at home who cared
10 90 out and join them. II already mar
ried, their wives and children, and suppos-
ing the wives 20 be willing, were 10 De sent
out 10 them at the state expense.
This philanthropical scheme, which
made the lot Of the murderer the incen-
diary and thrice convicted lelon much pref
cradle to that OF the rccluslOnniste, sen
fenced TO five or ten years solitary coniine-
ment (reclusion) for felonics OF the second
degree, proved the incentive TO number
of murders in and ont Of prison; conyicts
i'm the French pcnitentiarics began 10 com
nit murderous assaults upon their ward
ers In order TO be sent 'over the water,
while burglars, when caught, deliberately
attacked their captors with knife or revolt
yer. so as 10 aggrayate their crimes and
qualify themselves for transportation
The legislature had at last 90 interfere
by enacting that no convict should be tran
sported for any oilense committed within
prison walls and subsequently an act was
passed compelling convicts sentenced to
lengthy terms Of penal servitude HravauN
forces) for murder 10 undergo the first 1--WE
years of their punishment in reclusion.
But, as a consequence OF all this, the
French penal system has got completely
out of order, and additional confusion has
been thrown into it by the arbitrary man
ner in which mitigations, remissions and
pardOns are now granted.
These irregularities are made much
worse by the fact that French prison gov
ernors are themselves in these days gcner
ally the nominees OF members OF parila-
ment. and either out Of gratitude or in
expectation Of future benefits they curry
favor with their patrons by petting the
prisoners whom the latter recommend. II
follows that the convicts who have no pO-
ltical friends 10 care for them spend
very bad time indeed. The governor. by
his rigor toward them, makea up for his
leniency toward his prOtegcs. II sentenced
to reclusion they are like men intOmbed.
BELGIUAfs PERFECT SYSTEM
In Belgium the system Of solitary con
fnement has been brought almost to per
lection by keeping up the constant stimu
lus Of hope in the prisoner. il he have
trade he works at il; II he wishes 10 learn
a trade he is taught bya skilled instructor
If he have 10 special aptitude for handi-
craft he is employed in work that can be
easily learned in a few lessons.
THIS plan Is also followed in the prisons
Of Switzerland, Germany and Austria and
Hungary In these countries, a. IN Eng
land. there have been occasional outcrics
about the competition between prison
labor and free labor, but when IL is consid-
cred how small a proportion the poPula-
ton Of prisoners bears 20 that of free men
the latter cannot be said to have 70 gricy-
ance. The Austrian system Is, however
much less humane than the Belgian, IN
that it leaves a convict's liberation 10 the
mercy of the prison authorities. There are
no marks, but once a year the governor.
chaplain doctor and chief warder meet 10
draw up list Of deserving conyicts whose
names are submitted 10 the emperor.
According to all reports these lists are
drawn up fairly still the fact remains thar
n prisoner must occasionally owe more 90
favor than 10 his own deserts. Again, the
code of prison discipline IS much harsher
in Austria than in Belgium, where the
dark padded cell is but rarely used, and
where deprivation Of work and pay Tor one
day or more is generally found an all suiii-
cient punishment. TO begin with, in Aus
tria every convict sentence bears that hi-
punishment shall be "sharpened" by q Ger
tain number Of fast days. The anniyer
sary of the crime for which he WAS con
demned is always spent in dark cell, with
not morsel OF food but only water, for
twenty-four hours In some cases a plis-
oner has to undergo one OF these fast days
per month, and they are frequently in
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