The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-08-21
THE GREATEST FACTOR.
Education i'm the BrOadest Sense Of
That Word.

Education in the BrOadest Sense Of
That Word.
The Boston Herald of recent date pub
lished number of letters that were written
in answer to these three questions: 1. What
are the elements or factors which enter into
the reformation of criminals? 2. Is the
reformation of criminals dependent upon
religion? 3. And. if so, to what extent?
The following is the reply made by Rev.
Samuel j. Barrows, editor of the Christian
Register:
If am asked what is the greatest factor
in the reformation of criminals l should
say education, in the brOadest sense of that
word. l do not mean principally the edu-
cation of the intellect or the education in it's
literary sense but manual, moral and phys
ical education, and every element which
enters into the education of the will. This
is the demonstrated value of the most sue
cessful system of dealing with criminals
yet applied in this country. that of the New
York state refOrmatory at Elmira. 1t is in
the highest degree educational In the first
place. it develops the intellect in every d.
rection. Inmates are taken through the
arithmetic, are given courses in history,
ture. and other branches. The hand and
the eye are not neglected. They are taught
to draw as well as to read. The system of
trade schools covers thorough knowledge
of several important trades: and within the
last two or three years thorough system of
physical education has been experimentally
introduced to study the effect of physical
development on intellectual and moral
vigOr. There is also a thorough course in
physical training, and the upper grade of
inmates under skillful teacher are resolved
into parliament to discuss ethical ques-
tions. The skill in caSuiStry and the dis
Oped is remarkable.
The whole experience of Elmira goes to
show that large number of criminals are
undevelOped. They are victims of ignO-
rance and circumstances. and society is
largely responsible for creating them. Any
prison system is at fault which does not at
first seek to remove the ignorance of the
prisoner and qualify him to earn an honest
living; and, second, which does not by
thorough discipline develop habits of energy,
accuracy and a respect for order and for
law. At Elmira the prisoner is not simply
told what sort of man he must be; he is
trained into it under a discipline severely
rigorous. He must remain long enough un-
der such a discipline to establish habit of
right living which it will be natural for him
to continue when he leaves.
The question as to the reformative value
of religion ought not to be raised with ref
erence to criminals any more than with ref
erence to other classes in the community.
If religion is of any value in keeping man
out of prison. it is of value in helping him
after he has got in or after he is out again.
The mistake we make is in supposing that
those we have shut up in prison are very
unlike other men and women. On the con-
trary. they all come from the same stock;
and if religion was of any value to David
when he had sinned. or to Peter after be
had denied his Lord. or to Zaccheus, the
defrauder. or to the imperfect men and
women whom Paul addressedin in his epistles.
I see no reason why it may not be of equal
value to the same sort of people to-day.
Get rid at once of the idea that the criminal