The highest ideal of prison life is not simply punishment for evil doing, but should be a reformation in the lives of those who are thus incarcerated. We are glad to know that there is really a reformation being brought about in the rules and government of the prisons in our land. It is said of one of the kings in a country in Europe that, being desirous of knowing how the common people lived, he dressed himself as a peasant or tramp and went about from place to place among the poorer class of people, and while thus lounging about the city he was met by a policeman who demanded him to give an account of himself. Not giving the proper satisfaction, the policeman hurried him off to a dungeon-like cell. The prisons under that king’s domain were in a sad condition—dirty, filthy, alive with vermin, and were most degrading places. Thus the king was obliged to spend the night in such horrible quarters, which was in great contrast to the royal palace. However, it was a night well spent, though but little enjoyed by the king. He was touched as never before by a sympathetic feeling for the poor unfortunate human beings who were cast into such places. He at once ordered a renovation of all the prisons throughout his kingdom. Aside from our penitentiaries, there are jails, work-houses, and places of imprisonment, many of which are allowed to become filthy, with lice and other vermin in almost every crevice, making the place not only extremely unpleasant but unhealthful to every inmate. No doubt if many of our lawmakers and other influential people of our country were compelled to spend a few days or nights in such prisons there would speedily be a great reformation in the prisons of our own land. Aside from cleanliness and government of prisons and jails there is a reformation in which we can all have a part, and help to point the unfortunate ones to Him who is able “to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.”—Isa. 42:7. A number of our penitentiaries have comparatively good libraries furnished by the state; some have not yet been supplied with libraries; and even among those that are supplied there are more novels than good, wholesome religious works. However, in some prisons each prisoner is supplied with a Bible of small print, and there has been an earnest plea from the prisoners for good, wholesome religious literature by way of books, tracts, papers, etc. Our jails have as a general thing been sadly neglected on this line.