The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1897-09-23

Norwood Scrubs, or some other
prison, before being sent to Portland.
"Silent cells' are provided, with double
doors and light from the top, to be
used as punishment cells, especially in
the case of noisy prisoners. In this
prison as IN the other English prisons,
the convicts are divided into three
classes. First offenders are known as
the "star Glass; and are kept entirely
separate from the other prisoners in
order to avoid contamination. Very
good results are claimed as a result OF
the establishment of the star class.
This plan produces very much the same
results as the organization of state re-
formatories, like the Elmira and st.
Cloud institutions, which gather first
offenders into separate prison. The
warden holds a daily jail court at
which hearing is given to prisoners
charged with any offense and the pen
atty, if any, is awarded. The warden
may give dietary punishment, and de-
prive the prisoner of grade marks.
Corporal punishment may be admin
istered by the cato nine tails or by a
bundle of birch rods, on order of the
visiting director. 1t is stated that it is
seldom used, but the liability of its in
Fiction is an invaluable means Of keep
ing prisoners in order. On Sundays the
first class prisoners are allowed two
hours exercise in the yards, other! pris-
oners a shorter period. There are
two separate chapels for Catholics and
Protestants. The Protestant chapel
is beautiful building, erected by the
labor of the convicts.
The discipline in the English prisons
is less severe than l had supposed.
The prisoners are fairly we'll clad and
are allowed good many privileges,
though the diet is much less liberal
than in American prisons generally.
On the other hand, the discipline as re-
CARDS officers seems to be much more
strict than in the average American
prison, probably because the wardens
are usually army and navy officers. and
many of the wardens are old soldiers.
AS an illustration: asked the school
master who showed me about Hollo-
way prison for copy of blanks used
in making the daily record of prisoners.
He referred me to the prison clerk who
said that he was not at liberty to give
out such blanks without orders from
the "Home Office 1 was much disap
pointed in the Portland prison as to its
architecture, the employment given,
and the supposed superiority of its
management. 1 could not discover
that it was in any way superior to the
best class American penitentiaries, ex-
cept in the organization of the "star
class" The deficiency in the food is
much mitigated by the excellence of
the cooking. Samples of each dish
furnished are inspected daily by the
officers of the prison, and the prisoners
are at liberty to complain if the food
is unsatisfactory.
To summarize my observations of
foreign prisons: it seems to me that
the British prison system is best organ
lied on account of the central control
and consistent plan of management;
the Norwegian prisons seem to me the
best administered as to details of man.
agement and administration, but there
does not seem to be complete har
monious system of administering the
prisons. In Germany there are no
national prisons; very much as the diff
ferent states of the Union manage
their own prisons. There would seem
to be the same need of national sys-
tenn there as has been so often noticed
in the United States.