Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-07
THE EXPERIMENT TRIED.

An Interesting Story of the British Colony
for Conyfcts on Norfolk Island, and In
| Ireland-AT Turbulent Brutal Hell Trans
Community.
"Such colony Of criminals would be a
living hell"
This was the remark Of q lady who was
| privileged to hear the substance of the plan
suggested by Mr.. Warner. Her observation
stimulated me to some research, and find
that many interesting facts are related in
the article upon prisons in the International
Oyclopedid, edited by Richard Gleason
Green. 1t states that the originator of the
ideal system to which ourprisons are making
gradual approaches-called the system of
progressive classifcation-was the English
captain, Alex. Maconochie, who, 40 years
ago, perfected system, and on his own ap-
plication was made Governor of the British
penal colony of Norfolk Island, for the pur-
pose of putting it to practical test.
There were then ], 500 convicts on the
island, made up of the worst malefactors
from Britain. Maconochie called his plan
the Social plan of prison treatment" Its
basis is the belief that a state of cheerful
ness, hopefulness, and kindly treatment is
essential for Improvement and reform among
criminals. His system proposes four main
aims and methods, as follows:
Points of Maconochie's System.
First-A labor sentence instead of q time
sentence, so that prisoners know at once that
they can shorten imprisonment in proper
ton to industry.
Second-To enable them to have their
punishment further lessened by their good
behavior, daily recorded and cumulative to
their advantage, thus placing constant
premium on self-restraint.
Thirdly giving degrees ofsocial liberty
in proportion to the good use made of it,
and. encouraging the exercise of genial
qualities.
Fourth-By giving the prisoner part. of
the wages of his labor, to be put in his
possession on leaving the institution, or to
go to his family, and preparing him to re-
sumo decent place in society, and showing
confidence in him and releasing him from
restraint in proportion as he develops self
respect and disposition toward good citizen
ship.
Thus the prison life is regarded as one in
which the convicts are to be re-reared as
family of peculiar children, each of whose
peculiarities was to be considered. 1t is as
sumed that the worst traits in a convict do
not prove him devoid of some good ones,
and that the incentives to good life should
be made much greater and more pleasant
than to bad one.
The System of Marks.
The testing of his system began by offer
ing the convicts pay for their work by
marks, with which marks, when earned,
they could buy their own food, clothes and
other necessaries, and form surplusto be
credited to their liberation, on the supposi-
tion that they are sentenced to specific
number of days labor, or marks. He fixed
ten marks as the equivalent of aday's labor;
then paid by the piece, and not by time, land
for every ten marks saved the term of i'm
prisonment was lessened day.
Prisoners could buy their own provisions |
at three different rates, paying for them in
marks at the supply store of the prison.
The poorest fare cost three marks, the next |
four, the best five. Thus the zeal for free
dom would stimulate not only industry, but |
the utmost self-denial and economy. Over
work was paid for in extra marks, and mis- |
demeanors of any kind were subject to fine |
in marks. The mark record of prisoners
was thus at the same time their industrial |
and moral spur and their savings bank.
He did not attempt to bring about the
emulation and ambition which this sy stem |