The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (New Series, No. 47 and 48, January 1909) — John Shaqi
The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (New Series, No. 47 and 48, January 1909)Pennsylvania Prison Society
History
The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (New Series, No. 47 and 48, January 1909)
Pennsylvania Prison Society
Charities -- Periodicals; Prisons -- Periodicals
In twenty-four of the prisons visited the prisoners have little or no
labor to perform, although the sentence of the presiding judge may have
been “to separate and solitary confinement at hard labor.” In no prison
is the work arduous. The majority of prisoners welcome opportunities to
work. Such occupation is refreshing, as it aids them in whiling away the
tedium of their hours of restraint. I heard of no complaints arising
from the necessity of laboring, but I did hear complaint arising from
the scarcity of employment. In several places both officials and
prisoners claim that they are hampered by the State regulations on the
subject of prison labor.
“Separate and solitary confinement” is a portion of the sentence which
is honored more in the breach than in the observance. It is almost
impossible, considering the limited facilities of most of the prisons,
to carry out this enactment. In some of the smaller prisons the
prisoners are together during most of the day with entire freedom to
engage in games, conversation and such exercise as their quarters will
permit. At a few of the smaller jails the full freedom of the yard is
allowed at all times of the day. It is a source of deep regret that in
some prisons the juvenile criminals are confined in the same part of the
prison with the older lawbreakers. Usually the boys who have been
convicted are very soon sent to the State Reformatory at Huntingdon, but
while awaiting trial, or while serving short sentences, they are held in
county prisons where there are no arrangements for the segregation of
the male prisoners. The women prisoners are usually entirely segregated,
but in a few prisons they are confined in cells opening into the same
corridors which the men use.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account