Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-04-17
Physical Force in Prison Reform

hindered by two causes. These
are political influence and senti-
mentality. OF these interferences,
one arises from greed for place
and for power with voters, and the
other from good impulses, but it is
difficult to say which is the more
demoralizing, or more likely to de-
feat the objects of the reform
movement These objects are the
safety of society, reduction of the
taxation made necessary by crime,
and the reformation Of the crimi-
nal. II the leading object of in
generation were punishment
that is, injury to the individual
most of our prisons are admirably
adapted to their end. For the
worst punishment that can be in-
flicted upon a personsis to confirm
him in evil ways, and to make him
worse than he is. 1t is rare that
the Jail and penitentiary influences
are sucn as to improve him in any
way, except occasionally in his
physical condition. The advan-
tage to a criminal of confinement
is that abstinence and q regular
life may improve his health; but
better moral habits will not be
formed in him unless the authority
to which he is subjected is con-
cerned in the effort to educate him
into a better life. Sometimes our
prisons are honestly managed and
sometimes they are corruptly man
aged by the politicians, but never
when politics interferes are they
conducted either with regard to
economy for the taxpayers or in
the moral interests of the con-
demned.
But when we come to methods
of reform, they are hindered as
much by a misconception of the
work to be done and by sentimen-
tality as by political interference.
The problem that presents itself in
its simplest form is to reduce the
number of professional criminals
who live lawlessly upon the com
munity. This can only be done
by confning them, taking them
away from the field of their activi-
ty, and bringing to bear upon
them influences that will change
their habits if not their characters.
These influences must be educa-
tional and disciplinary in a high
degree, as we'll as humane. There
can be no reform of degraded nat
ures without discipline, and there
can be no discipline without force
behind it. There is no sort OF
government-of a state or institu.
tion. worth a rush that is not
founded on adequate force. This
Is fundamental, and it is as true ol
the state as it is of the family
Parental authority implies the
right to use force, and power o.
punishment of the refractory chile
lies back of the disregarded rules
, In no case must the punishment
be vindictive or cruel, or for tn,
, sake of punishment, but alwNyl
, educationary, disciplinary, for th'
sake Of reform.
I With every manager of a prisoi
2 or a reformatory (and all prisons
! should be reformatories) must re
2 side physical power to enforce hi
: rules; and this is still more neces
; sary where there is an intention o
o benefiting the man than wher,
!; there is only the idea of carrying
i out, without escape, a sentence 0
s confinement by way of punishmen
for a crime. Let any one conside
for a moment the material o
, which our great prisons are mad
up. In one aspect they are den
of insubordination, of brutality, o
. all evil tendencies. In anothe
aspect their inmates are huma
beings, separated from the mas
of mankind often by narrow linei
and capable OF being trained int
orderly and decent ways Of living
But they are generally 80 degrad
ed, or so crooked and distorted
that they can only be raised an
Strengthened by severe and persif
tent discipline. There must b
: applied to them the rules tina
- make the athlete, that make tn
soldier, that make the tralne
scholar. And this will not com
about with perverted beings VIII
have little poweS Of will by voiur
tety effort, they must be Son