The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (New Series, No. 3, January 1864)Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons
History
The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (New Series, No. 3, January 1864)
Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons
Charities -- Periodicals; Prisons -- Periodicals
So far as we have examined the Dietary of the different prisons in Great
Britain and Ireland, we find some meals enriched with meat, in England,
but none, as far as we discover, in Ireland. Prisoners are weighed, and
their provisions augmented or improved, or diminished in quantity and
quality, according as their weight increases or decreases. And the kind
of labor is changed to suit their health and weight. They must require
much personal supervision. Ale, wine and brandy are used in the prisons,
when the prisoner is under medical treatment; and it would seem, from
some Reports, that medical treatment was more frequently called for in
the prisons where such indulgences are prescribed. It may be remarked
here, also, that consideration is given to the previous _habits_, and
pursuits of prisoners, when they enter, and the diet, with regard to
meat and ale, somewhat modified by the amount which had been used before
conviction.
The Committee are decided in their views of the necessity of uniformity
in discipline, dress and food, in the prisons of Great Britain; and as,
geographically considered, the kingdom is small, with little variety of
climate or produce, such a desideratum may be easily supplied. We cannot
hope for anything like an attempt at uniformity in our Federal
Government; but there appears no immovable obstacle to a uniform system
of prison discipline and practice in this State. But that cannot be
hoped for, till there is a general knowledge of its wants. This will
probably be the result of the establishment generally in this State of
County Societies, auxiliary to the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating
the Miseries of Public Prisons.
One spirit pervades all the Reports of the Noble Committee, and it is
aroused and sustained by the answers to questions propounded by them to
the Inspectors and other officers appointed to look after the economy
and discipline of the prisons of all kinds throughout the kingdom, and
that is _the entire necessity of the separate confinement of the
convicts_, and the full belief that the same kind of treatment would be
beneficial, so far as time would permit, for every class of prisoners.
They distinguish between solitary and separate confinement. The former
is recommended as a prison punishment,—the latter as a system of regular
treatment. On this subject the Committee say, as a result of the
testimony taken before them: “Where separate confinement exists, it
exercises both a reformatory and deterrent effect. The committee are of
opinion that the principle of separation should be made to pervade the
entire system of the prison.” And while they do not admit that the
adoption of the system need cause any relaxation of the rule in school
or chapel, and at exercise, they intimate that the “_cellular_
instruction” (as they denominate what we have in our Report spoken of as
religious and moral instruction in and at the door of the cells) should
not be relaxed.
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