The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-02-19
PRISON REFORM.

ing of the Legislature they reported
at considerable length, but this year
they did not go into details of sugges-
tons of prison reform. Talking with
one of the Inspectors he informed The
Star that as nothing had been done
by the last Legislature, nothing might
be done by this; an entirely false
premiss. Reforms are only brought
about by hard work and constant
hammering. The reformer may not
succeed for years, but he will succeed
in the end. How many years was it
that the abolitionists worked against
slavery before they succeeded? Most
of the original abolitionists were dead
and buried before the end so earnest
ly striven for, so eagerly hoped and
prayed for was reached.
What we ought to do with our pris-
on is to make it a place of reform,
rather than of mere punishment. 9th
countries work in this direction, and
it should be our aim to reach the same
end. 1t is plain to any one who will
will give the matter thought, that
the end sought in Furnishing those
convicted of crime will be reached
sooner in some cases than in others.
Now last session the Commissioners
wrote: "When such end has been at
tanned, even if some time before the
expiration of a sentence, should not
some provision be made, other than
now be made, for the release of the
prisoner" And to this question they
had a reply in the interminate SEN
tence law of several of the States of
the Union. This law allows the Prs-
on Commissioners before the eXpira-
ton of a sentence to issue permit
TO prisoner under certain conditions
which they lay down. If the holder of
the permit issued violate any of the
terms and conditions of his permit, or
violate any law of the commonwealth,
the permit becomes void and the con-
Wet may be returned to prison to
serve out the maximum term of his
sentence, the time he was out not be-
ing counted in the term he served.
This is somewhat similar to the ticket
of leave system in use in England and
some of the Colonies.
Such a law, it was pointed out dur
ing the National Prison Congress of
1895, says to the convict: "You must
be sent to the prison because you
have violated law of the State. When
you may be released depends entirely
upon your fitness to be at large. The
Court has decided that you are fit 10
be sent to prison. 1t cannot tell when
you will be fit to be at liberty, but
the law provides methods by which
you can acquire your liberty much
sooner than the law originally set"
There can be no doubt that some
such law will be of advantage, will be
in fact great moral engine, but in
addition to this there should be some
thing practical done in the prison it.
self. The prison needs remodeling. IT
was built in the fifties when the study
of penology was in its infancy. 1t did
its duty well, and its wardens have
been noted for the cleanliness of the
building. But it is obsolete. Prison
ers of all grades of crime mix togeth-
er, and it is impossible to keep them
separate.
The proper thing to do is what
Warden Low suggests, AMI that is to
make the prison a penitentiary to
which prisoners of one year and over
should be sent. Furthermore there
should be penal farm upon which
the short term prisoners should be
placed instead of being worked on
the roads, and we would get rid OF
the striped suits on the streets.
If any one will pause and think
for moment he or she will realize
how the parading of a man daily
through the streets of a city, in his
prison garb, is likely to act upon his
self respect Those who look merely
at the punishment side consider that
the fact of being paraded adds to the
punishment, but those who take the
broader view that criminals should bt
encouraged to reform, must realize
that to encourage a desire for self re
spect, is one of the first steps in re
form.
The subject is perhaps not an inter
esting one to many readers, but it II
practical one and one that should
be kept before the public at this time
Reams upon reams may be written be
tween the Legislative sessions and M
good can be accomplished. It is only
now that actual work for prison re
form can be done. This is one of thu