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Visit to some English Prisons.
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local boards throughout the realm, the gov that even he was not allowed to go into the ernment or. the system emanates, practically, female department of the prison. It was from Sir Edmund F. Du Cane, whose long under the charge of the matron and her fe experience and careful, intelligent study of male assistants On entering each English the whole question have given him a high prison, I was at once impressed by the at rank among the leading penologists of to mosphere of discipline which everywhere pre day, and in England he appears to be facile vails. The governor, deputy-governor, and warders are almost entirely military men, — princeps. I confess I think we might well adopt army or naval officers and soldiers, — who some of the features of the English system. have learned to command and obey. I in For instance, it is very difficult, if not im tend no personal reflection on any prison possible, for a curious visitor to get into an officials in this country. As long as cheap English prison unless he commits a crime. politicians can threaten them with removal In America, certainly in Massachusetts, the or defeat at the next election, we cannot ex prisons are too generally regarded as places pect them to improve the present state of of entertainment for the outside public. affairs. Many of our jails and houses of correction Prison discipline should be applied with have a sign announcing the visiting hours equal justice to the convict who has political on each secular day of the week, and it is or social backing and the poor, friendless not uncommon for picnic and pleasure par one who, if he had had a fair chance in life, ties to be gotten up for the express purpose might have been a good man. Our prison • of going to see a prison. I think this is all system should in some way be freed from wrong. It is subversive of discipline, is the meddlesome interference of politicians, often demoralizing to the prisoners, and may and should be safe from the capricious or illbe made — as it frequently is — the entering considered attacks of incompetent legisla tors. It is even a worse blot upon our wedge for a display of unreasonable senti mentality by the surprisingly large number system to allow political or social pressure of people who seem to regard a criminal as to shorten the term or secure the pardon of a martyr after he is in prison, and never a prisoner whose case stands on no better think of the victims of his crime or the footing than that of fifty others, and yet this safety and well-being of society. But it also is often done. Another and an immense superiority of increases the opportunity for evil-disposed persons to smuggle unlawful articles inside the English system over ours is the plan of the prison and give them to the prisoners. separating convicts when they are first com At best the easy access to our prisons for mitted to prison. In England the convict spends the first nine months of his sentence outsiders can only gratify a morbid or un worthy curiosity. Prisoners are entitled to in isolation. He lives in his large cell, — seclusion from the gaze of inquisitive people. much larger than ours, — and works there, They ought not to be placed on exhibition like picking oakum, making mats or baskets or the animals in a menagerie. It is especially shoes, or doing whatever work is assigned to unwise to admit women to male prisons, or him. He goes in the morning for half an" men to female prisons, whether those who hour to the chapel, and, if his health permits, are thus admitted are themselves prisoners exercises an hour each day in walking around or not. No person should be allowed to a large circle with a squad of other prisoners. ramble through a prison as a visitor except Only during this hour and a half a day is he upon a written permit granted by competent brought in contact with his fellow-convicts, and during that time he is carefully watched authority for good cause. At Millbank the deputy-governor told me and prevented from communicating with
