Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-24
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.
The Maine State Prison.
Portland Sunday Times.)

He who doubts that the world is
growing better should read in the
Maine State Prison report for 1882 "a
historical account of the institution. 1t
is instructive as showing how men s
minds have changed on the subject of
punishment for crime. 1t was in 1Sy2
but two years after the separation from
Massachusetts, that committee was
appointed in pursuance of a resolve of
the Legislature to investigate the qucs-
ton of establishing a prison. This
committee reported next year IN part
as follows:
State prisons should be 50 construct
terrific, and appear like what in fact
they should be, dark and comfortless
abOdts of guilt and wretchedness;
10 mode of punishment ever
mas been or ever can be adopted so
good as close confinement in a solitary
cell, in which cut off from all hope OF
relief during the time for which he shall
nave been sentenced. the
convict shall be furnished with 4 ham
mock in which ne may sleep a block on
which he may sit. and with such coarse
though wholesome food as may be best
suited to a person in a situation de-
signed for grief and penitence, and
shall be favored with so much light
from the armament as may enable HIM
to read the New Testament. which shall
be given him as his sole companion and
guide to better life. " plan
for a prison is herewith submitted, by
an inspection of which it will appear
that the committee propose to have
each convict confined in a separate cell,
and entirely secluded from all inter-
course with any mortal.
A prison Of "terrific"' aspect dark
and comfortless abodes Of guilt and
WretchedncSs," solitary confinement,
furniture restricted to a hammock and
a block. just light enough in the cell
to enable the prisoner to read--this was
the idea eighty years ago of the proper
method to treat q convict And his
reading was to be confined to the New
Testament. which was given to him
as his sole companion and guide to
a better life" That must have meant
the life hereafter, for there was GER
tainly nothing in such surroundings
calculated to be an incentive to a bet
ter life here. 1t seems that the Thorn
II
employing the convicts in the manufac-
ture of lime with a profit to the State
a plan long since lost sight of. The
manufacture is carried on by free la Dor
near by and the prisoners are employed
in other lines Of work. The first cells
were regular dungeons. with apertures
on the top % by "A inches for the adj
mission of air and light; the fare was
mean. coarse and Scanty: miSbehaving
prisoners were put in solitary with half
the usual allowance of food: boys OF
IL to Is, sentenced to short terms for
lnlSdemeanOrS, were confined in the
State prison with the more hardened
cOnvlctS: harsh modes of punishment
OF the refractory were used, such as
beating with a paddle and wearing
iron collars with bell attached, and
garment called THE rogue'S Jacket"
On what short commons the prisoners
were kept may he Judged from the fact
that in 1873 the cost of boarding them
was ro ported to be 10 cents for each
person. Nor had any proper accom-
modations been made for female pris-
oners.
All this is ia vivid contrast with the
penology of the present day. The old
idea of punishment was almost wholly
that of Vengeance-the vengeance of
society on those who had outraged its
laws. The criminal was regarded as
an outcaSt, to whom no conSidera ton
was Due, and 70 whom justice was not
to be tempered with mercy or pity.
The idea of reform combined with pun
lShment had not dawned. and it did not
seen to be regarded as possible that
mlSdemeanant of 4 lesser degree could
be restored and made useful member
OF society. The indetermnate SEN
tence. abatement of time for good be-
hdVior. separation of youth. the en-
pioYment of good influences i'm sur
roundings and instructionS-alI these
mad no place in the early prison man
agement. In these times we do things
somewhat better. or are trying to- At
least the average criminal is not re-
garded as absolutely hopeless and in
corrigible. whom it is a waste of time
to try to make better and who at the
end of his period of punishment is to
be turned adrift without hope or
cnance or incentive to lead a new life