impede the reformation of criminals; from the perpetual distrust
and perpetual punishment which are necessary to enforce _silence_
in _association_, and from the grosser vices of the older style of
prisons, mutual contamination and hardening in villany. It allows
a return to feelings of self-respect. It removes all possibility
of combination for evil purposes, and prevents the exertion of
that fascinating influence which the practised villain exerts so
destructively over the novice in crime. It protects the penitent,
in his first desires and efforts to return to God. It is something,
also, as regards others less hopeful, even for a time, effectually
to break the chain of their evil habits, and to compel the mind,
however reluctant, to turn inwards and reflect, until the dormant
powers of conscience be aroused. Beyond this it does not seem to go
in producing amendment; and we are persuaded, that if the benign
and saving influence of our divine religion were withdrawn from a
prison on the separate plan, not a single inmate would ever leave
its walls a whit more reformed than from any other.”
We think the friends of separation could scarcely ask for a more
favorable exhibit of its advantages than _Ignotus_ gives. It certainly
places that system far in advance of any and all others as the basis
of reformation. And while we readily admit that it is but a basis,
and that higher and better influences must be relied on to make
it efficient as a means of reformation, we cannot agree with the
author, that convicts from a separate prison are not likely to leave
its walls a whit more reformed than convicts from Newgate or from
Blackwell’s Island. To keep bad men apart must always, under all
circumstances, be more conducive to their reform, than to suffer their
intercommunication. If “the benign and saving influence of our divine
religion,” were withdrawn from the city of London or New York, it would
become a pandemonium; but no one would say, that if each man, woman
and child, were separated from every other man, woman and child by an
impassable gulf, the degree of corruption would not be essentially
reduced. Close association breeds the plague of cities--comparative
separation keeps the country clean and wholesome. The analogies of the
moral and natural world are very obvious in this respect.
“If it be thought, from what has been written of late years on the
subject, that a greater efficacy should be attributed to separate
confinement, let it be borne in mind, that cotemporaneously with
its adoption in any prison, there has been very much greater
care taken than ever used to be in the selection of officers to
superintend the discipline, and to convey moral and religious
instruction to the prisoners. Wherever Christianity has been
brought to bear upon criminals, in its real power and blessedness,
good has been accomplished under the most untoward circumstances;
sinners have been brought to Christ and salvation; and the mass,
if not converted unto God, have been marvellously civilized. This
was manifested by the success which followed the self-denying
labors of Mrs. Fry, and other pious persons in Newgate; of that
eminent man Dr. Browning, in so many convict ships; of Sir Edward
Parry, who labored like a missionary amongst his _assigned_ convict
servants, at Port Stephen’s; of Colonel Demaresq, also acting in
the same spirit, under the same circumstances, at St. Helier’s and
St. Aubyn’s; and of Sarah Martin, in the gaol of Yarmouth, of whose
unwearied and blessed labors the Government Inspector, Captain
Williams, makes such honorable mention in several reports. The
superior mind of a person invested with authority, may exercise
a most salutary influence upon any class of human beings, but
Christian doctrine, and Christian character _consistent enough to
stand the scrutiny of the bad_, accomplish greater things; and the
lower any are sunken, the more commanding is this influence upon
their minds.”
We presume the prevailing sentiments of this passage, will meet
a hearty response from all our readers. We are in no danger of
attributing too much efficacy to the power of the truth over the mind
when it has access to it. It may be questioned, however, whether its
influence is not greatly hindered, and sometimes completely obstructed,
by the debasing vices of convicts. We are not quite prepared to admit,
that the lower the human mind sinks, the more commanding is the
influence upon it of Christian doctrine and Christian character, though
we would regard no case as beyond the reach of such an influence.
“The _combination_ of pious Christian zeal with good judgment and a
knowledge of human nature, in the head of any prison establishment,
we are convinced is more likely to lead to the reformation of its
inmates, than any _system_ of discipline _without it_. It has the
blessing of God, “without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy,
nothing is perfect.” But, whatever may be thought of the influence
of separate confinement, as _a means of reformation_, there should
be no doubt about its utility as a punishment, if not carried to
an extreme. It is a most severe one, certainly; but this is not
without great advantages, even in an economical point of view; for
in proportion as it is severe, the sentence may be abridged, and
its heaviest pressure is upon those who deserve it most. Criminals,
of all men, can least bear to be alone. A thoroughly bad man,
by himself, is the greatest coward, and without his accustomed
stimulants, the most wretched of beings; we have no hesitation,
therefore, in stating, that such a man would prefer even the scanty
food, the vermin and the sloth of such a place as Newgate, where
he might gamble for his supper, learn new tricks or instruct the
novice, sing, play, and quarrel by turns in the night-room, than
the very best treatment and the most abundant diet of a prison
on the new plan. The _reformatory character_ of such a gaol is,
to such persons, an object of real terror. A visiting justice of
the gaol of Reading, stated before Lord Brougham’s Committee (p.
478-9,) that full 50 per cent of the vagrant class had actually
fled out of Berkshire, lest they might be immured in so horrible
a place. It is however, an expensive plan for the treatment of
criminals; its _individuality_ and severe pressure creating a
necessity for better occupation of the mind and body, a more
liberal diet and a greater number of teachers than where prisoners
are associated.”
We regard the features of separation which Ignotus delineates in the
foregoing passage, as most highly commendatory of it as a means of
discipline and reform. This better occupation of the mind and body, a
more liberal diet, and the greater number of teachers, which become so
needful, indicate just what the desire for wholesome food does in a
convalescent patient. His vices had made wholesome occupation of either
mind or body irksome; and the attempt to teach him good knowledge was
to annoy, if not to offend him. If separation from the haunts and
fellowship of the wicked makes him long for what he once loathed, the
public are “penny-wise and pound-foolish,” if they grudge the supply.
It is the token of returning health and should be hailed with joy and
gratitude.
No. 3.--_Statistics of Truantry and of Juvenile Vagrancy in the City of
Boston._
By the kindness of Mr. Tukey, City Marshal at Boston, we are furnished
with an interesting report, which he prepared at the instance of the
late efficient Mayor, (Mr. Quincy,) respecting the number, character,
social circumstances, &c. of the street-children, in habits of
vagrancy, wandering about and contracting idle and vicious habits. We
draw largely from this interesting document, and earnestly wish the
like investigation might be made into the condition of other cities in
this respect.
The whole number of the class of children designated between six and
sixteen years of age, is 1066; arranged as follows:
Male children, 882
Females, 184
Children of American parents, 103
Children of Foreign parents, 963
Children who belong to some school, but are truants, 106
Boys regularly employed in Bowling saloons, 139
Children who do not attend any school nor have any lawful calling, 821
Children who do not attend school for want of clothing, books, &c. 129
Children of widows, 238
Children with fathers but no mothers, 29
Children, orphans, 54
Their ages are as follows:
Six years of age, 39
Seven “ “ 53
Eight “ “ 79
Nine “ “ 77
Ten “ “ 121
Eleven “ “ 111
Twelve “ “ 176
Thirteen “ 141
Fourteen “ 143
Fifteen “ “ 80
Sixteen “ “ 56
“My opinion is, that of the whole number, from eight to nine
hundred (from neglect and their bad habits) are not fit to enter
any of our present schools.
“From the best information which I can obtain, I am satisfied that
the whole number in the City at the present time, (including the
above number,) is not less than fifteen hundred of the same class
as those described.
“And I earnestly call your attention to them, and the necessity of
providing some means to have these children properly brought up,
either at public or private expense; for I am satisfied that it
will cost the State and City more for Police, Courts and Prisons,
if they are suffered to go at large, than it would, to take them
now, maintain them and make them useful citizens.
“The State Reform School at Westborough, will be a great benefit.
Out of fifty-eight boys that have been sent there, thirty-four
have gone from this City. But I am of opinion that the law is
defective that waits until the child ‘_shall be convicted of any
offence known to the Laws of this Commonwealth and punishable by
imprisonment_’ before he can be sent there.
“Very few parents are willing to complain of and testify to the bad
conduct of their children, knowing that such testimony will deprive
them of their services.
“I am satisfied that the system heretofore pursued by the City
Government of licensing minors to sell papers, and other small
articles, is an injury to them.
“During the year 1846, out of 112 minors arrested for larceny, and
carried before the Courts, 46 were news-boys. During the year 1847,
out of 112 minors, 58 were news-boys.
“During the year 1847, out of 30 licensed, six were brought in for
larceny during one week.
“There is evidently a great increase of crime among minors. The
Police books show that the number arrested and brought in, is more
than one hundred each quarter.
“The following extract is from the City School Report for the year
1847.
“‘Does the instruction provided by the City reach all those persons
for whom it is intended? This question suggests itself to every one
who observes the apparently great number of children, at large, in
school hours, in almost every part of the City.
“‘It is not difficult to find out what are the occupations of
many of these children. They are hawkers of papers, or sellers of
matches,--most of the time occupied in quarreling and gambling.
They are beggars, male and female, strolling from street to street,
through lanes, by-ways and alleys, practicing the elementary
lessons of pilfering, lying, deception and theft. They may be
seen wherever wooden structures are in the process of building,
repairing, or tearing down;--seeking for fragments of wood to which
they evidently feel they have a very questionable right. They are
the loafers on wharves and in all the modes of juvenile vice. Are
these children in the way to become useful citizens or happy and
respectable men? Are they not growing up to be the occupants of
jails and almshouses? Are they not in a course of education for
worthlessness and crime?
“‘Let us see what answer the records of the courts of justice make
to these questions.
“‘There are, on an average, 74 inmates of the House of Reformation;
nearly the same number in the school on Thompson’s Island; and, for
the year ending in November last, 456, under age, had been inmates
of the jails.
“‘In reference to providing instruction for this great mass of
uneducated children, our _system_ is not defective. Sufficient
provision is now made for the instruction of those children who
have passed the age at which they are admissible into the primary
schools, and who are not qualified for the grammar schools. The
number of this class is rapidly increasing, and is likely to
increase still more. Our system was contrived and adapted to a
small city, peopled by persons born in New England, and always
enjoying and disposed to avail themselves of the advantages of the
free-school system of these States. But some (no?) provision has
been made for the vast accessions to our population by immigration
from foreign countries of persons of every age, and of every
condition of ignorance. Our system of government supposes educated
citizens; and will not be safe unless our citizens are more or
less educated. Now there are great masses coming in upon us who
are not educated, except to vice and crime; the creatures or the
victims of the justice or the oppression, or the over-population
of the old world. For the education of these, adult and juvenile,
not only must provision be made, but means must be used to render
the provision effective. It is not enough to say that provision
is made for their education, if they will avail themselves of it
at a proper time. Unless they are made inmates of our schools,
many of them will become inmates of our prisons; and it is vastly
more economical to educate them in the former than to support
them in the latter. The annual cost of educating an individual at
the public schools is from six to twenty dollars. The annual cost
of the support of an individual in the House of Reformation, the
cheapest of all such institutions, is forty-four dollars, and in
the House of Correction probably not less than one hundred dollars;
and in this estimate is not included the great expense of the
administration of criminal law, much of which might be prevented by
the proper education of these children.
“‘It is a defect in the organization of this (School) Board, that
there is now no person connected with and acting under direction
of the Board, to ascertain what children of the legal age are not
in the schools, and to use measures to bring them there. This
Board is the only one which has, officially, a knowledge of the
numbers of children in the schools and of those who ought to be
there. It is the one whose duty it is to provide means for the
education of all the children. It would be well if it could have
authority not only to use means to bring wandering children into
the schools, but to provide for the instruction of those portions
of the adult population who are without, and who desire elementary
instruction,--that is, instruction in reading, writing and
accounts.’
“I know of no one thing,” says the City Marshal, “that is so much
needed as a proper home for idle and vagrant _female_ children, the
ascertained number of which class is 184. There are, undoubtedly,
300 of the same character now in the City, they may be seen at the
entrance of every public building and every great thoroughfare,
peddling small articles or begging, and insulting every person who
refuses to buy, or give when asked. Many of them have been so long
neglected, that they are familiar with crime in its worst forms,
but against whom it is difficult to procure evidence, and when
procured, the only place they can be sent to, is to the House of
Correction or House of Industry for short terms, and then they are
suffered to go at large without a proper home or friends to care
for them.
“In regard to habitual truants from the schools, I am satisfied
that the powers of the Courts, and the City authorities, are
entirely _inadequate_ to meet the evil. The late Mayor directed
me to detail some officer whose whole duty it should be to look
after the truants that were reported to him, by the masters of the
several schools.
“From the report of the officer detailed for this purpose, I make
the following extract:
“‘During the year that I have had the charge of Truants, I have
been called upon by the teachers of the Grammar and other Schools,
to nearly 300 truant and idle children; and for want of some system
by which to be governed, my practice has been as far as possible
adapted to the circumstances of the case. I first call upon the
parents, find out their condition and the character of the boy
complained of, in order to know how to proceed with him; admonish
him, and always in the first instance take him back to the school
to which he belongs. In many cases this course has been sufficient.
If called again to the same boy, by the consent of the parents, I
have locked him up for a few hours, and given him to understand
that a complaint against him would remain on file to be proceeded
with if he again offends. This, sometimes, has been enough, but
not often. After taking a boy to School two or three times, and
he finds that nothing further is done, the Police-man’s badge and
staff have no terrors for him. The reason, I think, is this. The
law does not reach his case--the Courts say he is not a vagrant,
because he has a home--and he is not a stubborn and disobedient
child within the meaning of the statute. He is disobedient only so
far as he is a truant; and there is no law against truancy. I have
been into Court with a number of such cases and did not succeed in
sustaining the complaint. The decision was almost fatal to the boy,
and a great injury to the School to which he belonged. The only
course left for us after this, was to watch the boy until we could
arrest him for some trifling offence _known to the law_, and have
him punished, which seemed to be necessary for the good of the boy,
as well as the School.’
“The above statistics have been obtained in the following manner.
During _school hours_ the officer has visited the wharves,
public thoroughfares, and all other places where these children
congregate, and by kind treatment and persuasion, learned their
names and residence, then gone with them to their homes and
ascertained their condition, and that of their parents, a record of
which is now in this office, and to which additions are daily made.”
This brief history of juvenile vagrancy in the city of Boston, whose
school system has been so long and justly regarded as her chief glory,
will not surprise those who are familiar with scenes at the wharves,
railway-stations and steamboat landings of New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore. Innumerable specimens of the same class of young renegades
may be seen also at the doors or in the vestibules of public houses
in the large inland towns; and unless some mild compulsory process is
devised to form them to better habits, it is certain that a severe one
will be demanded to protect the community against their violence and
depredations.
No. 4.--_The London Christian Observer’s notice of Rev. Mr. Field’s
work on the advantages of the separate system of imprisonment._
In our last number we inserted, entire, an article on Mr. Field’s work,
from the “London Medical and Chirurgical Review.” The February (1849)
number of the _London Christian Observer_ devotes ten or fifteen pages
to it, and inclines “to agree to a considerable extent in the author’s
opinion, that the separate system is superior, not only to every other
system that has hitherto been tried, but also to any that shall be,
or can be hereafter devised.” This is rather more than we should be
willing to say of any human device, but we are glad to see an English
periodical of so much influence and reputation committing itself so
heartily to the right side.
The “Observer” has strangely fallen into the notion, that absolute
solitude without labor or instruction, was ever adopted _as a system
of discipline in the United States_. He speaks of “our good friends
in the United States,” as having run into the extreme of “entire
solitude for six or ten months together in prisons of the most wretched
description,” but when the effects were seen, “the system was abandoned
at once.” He expresses thankfulness, that this dreadful system was
never tried in England, but that they have been permitted to learn
better by the experience of their neighbors. There is no doubt, that
studious efforts have been made by the opponents of separation in our
country to confound it with solitude, and to give the impression, that
whatever evils are imagined or proved to result from the latter, are
necessarily incident to the former. But we should have looked for a
little more discrimination in the Observer, and for evidence of more
thorough knowledge on a subject of so much interest. Indeed, we might
almost suppose, that the needful supply of knowledge and discrimination
is at hand, when the inquiry affects the good repute of the “sea girt
isle,” and only fails when the institutions of “young America” are
presented for review.
“We come now,” says the Observer, “to the separate system as we
have it _amongst ourselves_, and we must request our readers to
bear in mind, that this system is essentially different from the
_Solitary_, properly so called--different in its objects, in its
working, in its effects. The separate cell is but the sick room, in
which the morally diseased is put under treatment for such time as
his case requires. The solitary cell is (or rather was, for it no
longer exists among civilized nations) the grave; where the patient
is left as being past treatment and without hope of recovery. Yet
the two methods have been, and are confounded, and the failure of
the one, with all its attendant circumstances of horror, is used
blindly or unscrupulously as an argument against the other.”--p.
129-30.
It is this “blind or unscrupulous” confounding of solitude and its
effects, with separation and its fruits, that constitutes one of the
crying sins against humanity, for which we think the anti-separatists
will be called to account.
“We are sorry that we cannot follow Mr. Field through his
description of the system of instruction, and its effects on the
prisoners in general. His work abounds in examples of the ignorant
instructed, the profligate reclaimed, the hardened convict
subdued, the weak-minded set firm in good principles; and almost
all thankful for the discipline they have undergone, and setting
out afresh in this world of trials, with, at all events, new
strength and better principles. Mrs. Fry, indeed, regarding man
as adapted for a state of trial, argued against the system[7] as
one that takes the convict away from trial altogether; but surely,
there are stages and states in the moral life, when the discipline
of solitude and reflexion is absolutely required; just as the body,
though its intended sphere of action may be the air and the light,
may absolutely require total seclusion from both, must be placed
in bed, and take sharp medicines, instead of taking exercise and
facing the weather. To say nothing of the fact, that a crowded
prison-yard can scarcely be regarded as a _fair_ field of probation
for any man.