The record-union., 1893-01-21

offenders are guilty OF nigh crimes and
haDltual criminals commit venlal oiten-
ses. The technical title of the offense is
not sure index of the Offenders charac-
Ter. There are, Of course, professional
criminals addicted to particular crimes
that call Tor and develop distinctive traits,
but comparatively few criminals are
| professionals" and even these turn
aside sometimes to crimes of another
grade, while all grades of crime attract
and engage the youthful and ineXpe-
rienced.
The distinctions made by the statutes
are based mainly on the amount of dam
age done. which is often accidental; the
same hand and intent may govern the
harmless thrust and drive home the
deadly stiletto; larceny is of one degree
or another, according to the opportunity
to steal; the burglar breaks and enters
usually without thought or knowledge of
the statutory definitions determining the
degree Of his crime. Conduct in prison,
as conduct is generally rated by prison
officers, is not safe criterion, but it is
possible to make IL so. Under prison
system that brings into play the inn
pulses OF the prisoner when IN contact
with conditions somewhat analogous to
Tree society, the fitness for free life may
be very accurately ascertained. Expe-
rlenced observers must remember sur
prlses when the good man in prison has
gone to the bad on his release, while the
rough customer has turned out well. All
these facts OF sex, age, color, crime and
conduct may have an influence in class
Hylng criminals, but none of them con-
sldered alone constitutes the true basis.
1t IS the real diversity OF character among
them TO be discerned aGer the wisest
scrutiny and fullest opportunity to apply
tests from time to time. The scrutiny
should include somewhat Of the ancestral
history, much of the early environment,
and careful personal examination of the
criminal himself, as to his physical quail
lty and condition, his mental capacity
and culture or uncuIture, and his moral
susceptibility, and his sensitlyenesS or
apathy in view of his crime and its con-
sequences.
Classification may be effected by gem
eral separation Of prisoners into two di-
visions Immediately after conviction,
either by the sentence of the court or by
the central governing authority of the
prisons themselves; the susceptible to
one division. the apparently incorrigible
TO another, subject TO transfer afterward
by the prison governors from one di-
vision to another, 10 perfect this general
classification. The prisoners OF a State
may thus be separated in a single prison
or IN different prison establishments. In
the division of susceptibles the ruling
aim in administration would naturally be
reformation and early restoration to lib
erty, and Tor the other, the incorrigibles,
a more rigorous regime would be pro-
vided, and probably a longer period of
detention would be required.
Further classification within the two
general divisions and in eacn separate
establishment thereof, would be into
three grades, without separation, that is
to say, with limited and supervised asso-
clation, and then progress toward liberia
ton, to be so conditioned that there must
OF necessity be on the part of the prisoner
an actual progress of reformation.
Another much needed reform is the
compulsory education of prisoners. 1t is
high time the farce were ended of placing
criminals in durance to be worked sim
ply for the profits of their labor, preached
to, and atterWard released unchanged
upon the community. There is no pro
lection without reformation, and there
is no reformation without educa-
ton. The criminal must outgrow
can be, and therefore should be
forced ii necessary. Education, using
the term in lis broad and comprehensive
sense, is at once the means and the pro-
cess, and no other word so well expresses
| the product we call reformation. 1t in
wolves training to proper selt-regulation,
and efficient industrial application, and
illumination.
The present practice of setting crimi-
nails scot free without improved impulses,
untitled for and without access to decent
associations, without visible means OF
support whether of money, occupation
or capacity, but on the other hand, as is
too often the case, with an added impulse
and power for evil, is both absurd and
dangerous. The State should see to their
enlightenment in prison and continue its
authority over them as long as appears to
| be proper after their release from the
prison walls. 1t is demOnstrable that
the State Prisons of California are meas
urably reformatory already. The bar
barous preparation of hideous otfenses
are, with extremely rare exceptions, re-
peated. showing that a single term in
prison has the effect to strike to some ex-
tent the scales from the offenders ewes.
But this is so no doubt in most other
prisons. 1t applies particularly to the
cases of those who go to prison with
moral perceptions beneath the average
current, low as it usually is in the State
Prisons, and who learn something from
even prison associations.
But the actual condition of the prisons,
compared with what they readily might
and should become, is as land monopoly
in California would be to the settling OF
the State by actual producers. The par
allels are similar. Let the prisons be
| renovated, put away retribution re-
strain senumentalism, sentence criminals
/ to be reformed or restrained as they may
| elect or be able, then WELD this mighty
! influence or power, their love of liberty,
/ for their education until they properly
discern between right and wrong as prin-
| ciples of action, until the better impulses
lnstinctiVely preponderate, and sufficient
| strength of mind and will is developed to
consummate the good choice when tempt
ed by evil; and for those who will not, or
| unfortunately cannot receive such cult
| ure, let them remain restrained to such
| extent, and in such manner, as best pro-
| tects society from their further crimes.
| The prisoner put through such training
! should on his return to society have a fair
chance to build himself up, and it is the
duty, as well as the wise policy Of the
| State, to see that he has it.
! 1t will be a most salutary reform when
1 the prisoner, previous to his ultimate re-
lease from legal restraint, is completely
lehabilitated. He must be actually in
/ troduced into suitable permanent en-
! ployment, surrounded by reasonably
/ good influences, and should be officially
supervised until the habit is formed Of
saving from his earnings, serving faith
! fully and behaving himself properly in
/ ordinary society.
/ Passing, while in confinement, through
4 graduated course OF training so con-
/ diuoned that actual progress OF improve
ment must be made, be is, on reaching a
point of probable safe release, at once re-
stored to the rights, the privileges and
the obligations, too, of good citizenship,
to be under observation until established
in well doing and readjusted to current
affairs; he is thus protected from the
temptations of idleness, friendlessness
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