Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-06-20
A LONG STEP TOWARDS PRISON
REFORM.
Newport News Daily Press.

NNN'POsS tNSnS bhlly 81
Although it found in correct in
vcstigation that the "Duddng charg-
es' affecting abuses alleged in the
State prison were unsustained, the
State Board of Charities and Correc-
tions evidently has seen n great light
in respect to the question of prison
reform i'll general.
Reporting to the Governor, it urges
the abolition Of the Penitentiary as
place OF confinement for criminals
and would have substituted therefor
the farms and camps which more
progressive practico indicates MS the
best solution of the difficult problem
OF enforcing scnence of Imprisonment
Tor CRIME. 1t also reports that there
are numerous instances of conditions
that are "unspcakablc"-a least it
does not speak of them i'm detail. And.
while it clings to he ancient fallacy
"i logging as corrective measure,
1t confcscs that beating of convicts
has been entirely too indiscriminately
iniulgcd and that it should BIO strict
y guarded and supervised in the
future. Another point on which the
board rings clear it that the State
should no longer farm out to nny
one, city or county authority rs it
may he, its obligation To care for the
man whose liberty il has declared
forfeit for the good of society.
These recommendations are nil
sound. so far rs they 20, and in the
particular in which they do not 70
far enough, they show promising
reform of thought. AS to the pcni-
tertiary, the idea of harsh and soli-
tary conl'incmcnts in my degree Of
idlrncsH is absolutely ubhorrent to
modern IDEAS of mercy. Punishment
Tor crime is itself nm offcnsc against
humanity in he degree that il forgets
ITS purpos Of corrcstan and lends
tsclr To that of destructive revenge.
Pure confinement, meaning nothing
except II forfeiture Of liberty, cannot
in its nature escape this idea of re-
vcngc and shifting back by the
state ut expense of the warped in
dividual who has offended against
it's lays. Cocrccd labor if rightly en-
forced. may on the other hand be OF
moral and physical benefit 70 the
convict, and its Influence, mt least, is
toward reforming him to the stntus
OF useful citizenship. When the pris-
oncr is simply confined and fatcd to
the infinite WEAKNESS Of waiting the
expiration Of his sentence it is not
surprising that he becomes brutaliz-
al and that his dcgcncracy is met
by men who have heroine warped
! through the unnatural practice of
mastery of slaves. The case il even
worse when, having laid ils hands on
TIE criminal and taken away his lib
crty, the state avoids the implied
trust of treating him M II defective
unit of society whose cure il possible
by leaving him to the merccs of
other agencies over which il has, or
! exercises, scarcely he shadow Of con.
troll. AZ 10 rlogEing, not only has been
demonstrated That il cannot be COM
promised with. a blow from the cat
o-ninc-tnls cuts deeper than the skin;
| and the hurt to the soul of II man
who RECEIVES il is none the less deep
! because it's force is tempered out of
consideration for some high Official
called on to witness y human being
placed IN the attitude Of dog and
so treated.
! 1t has taken the State Board of
| Charities and Corrections II long while
To become awake, hut it should Take
the State no longer than the time
necessary o draw up the copy of any
one of many tried and proven sta
tutcs to cure it. The Legislature that
IS expected to meet to give us good
roads laws can pass them with IL
good conscience only by giving as
surnncc the none of the convicts to
he used in their construction shall
be subjected to crucltica, some of
/ which are known hut the worst of
which are only limited in mistaken
mercy Of the feelings Of the rcspon-
siblc public.