The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-10-22
PROGRESS OF PRISON REFORM
BY GEN. ROELIFF BRINKERHOFF.

PROGRESS OF PRISON REFORM.
BY GEN ROELIFF BRINKERHOFF.
Prisons are as old as history; but
prison reform, as we now understand
it, is but child of yesterday. Pc
nology, as science, is younger than
the most of us who are in this life to-
day; and it would seem, therefore,
that the story of it's progress would not
be long to tell. Perhaps it is not, if we
confine ourselves strictly, as we must
in the main, to such portions of the
science as are now recognized as axioms
by it's acknowledged opponents.
Prison reform, as continuous en-
tity, had its beginning in 1913, when
John Howard began his Investigations
and revelations of the prisons of Eng
land and Europe. Prior to that time:
all through the Christian era, there
had been occasional attempts for the
amelioration of prisoners. This could
not we'll be otherwise, under the pre-
cepts of a religion which taught that
men had souls to save as well as bod
les to punish; and, therefore, after it
came into power under Constantine,
Christian rulers not only authorized
the humane Intervention of the Church,
but they even sought and required it.
for example, in charging the bishops to
provide, in concert with the magis
trates, by regular visits and inquests,
that no prisoner should be unjustly de-
tanned or submitted to inhuman treat
ment, and to cause to be released those
who, despite the laws, had been shut
up in private prisons. So in England.
as far back as the reign of Edward vi.
$780, Latimer, in sermon preached
before that monarch, lifted up his
voice against the "heathenism" of Lon
don prisons. So, in 17O4, Pope Clement
ri. established juvenile prison, on a
plan similar to what is now known as
the Auburn system, with associated
labor and instruction during the day
and cellular separation at night, and
declared that sit was of but little use
to restrain criminals by punishment,
unless you reform them by education %
So. in several other instances, efforts
were made for the reformation of pris-
ons; but they obtained no permanent
foothold until Howard came, and gave
his life to the work, and became mis-.
sionary of reform in all civilized coun-
tries.
At that time, England was the most
enlightened, the most Christian, of all
the nations of the earth; and yet hel
prisons, as Howard found them, ''fol
cruelties, filth, loathsome sickness, and
manifold denominations" were horrible
: almost beyond belief.
} When John Howard as sheriff Of
Bedfordshire made his first visit to thu
| old jail where Bunyan wrote his Pill
grim's Progress, the filthy state of thu
building, and the wretched condition o:
3 the prisoners, made deep impression
upon him; but the fact that many limo
l cent persons were detained there TO
: months, and sometimes for years, from
t inability to pay their fees of Jail deliv
: cry, so shocked his notions of justice
f that he instantly proposed to the mag
j istrate to release such persons, and t.
e provide against their future detention
e by paving regular salaries to the jailer
9 in place of fees they were accustomed
S to collect from the prisoners. Tn
g magistrates, unprepared for such al
r, innovation in Jail economy, asked TO
u precedent; and Howard spent man
a months in fruitless exertions to fin
n one, in the course eff which he visite
# every town in England containing
e prison. He failed to find the prece
l. dent he sought; but, nevertheless, h
h collected mass of information respect
y ing the management of prisons, whic
y he communicated in report to tn
1t House of Commons, who thanked hir
10 for his zeal and humanity, and in JUNE
y 1774, passed bills "for the relief of az
quilted prisoners
s. This was the beginning of prison RI
Is form, as we now understand it; but
a was plant of slow growth. Howard
Is however, was not discouraged, and d.
v termined to give his life to the work
t. and the years that followed were d.
e voted to the visitation of prison
I hospitals. and lazarettos, in all tn
J. countries of Europe, and under circun
It stances of peril, exposure, and suffe
c ing which are scarcely PARALLEL in hi