The Pennsylvania Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (Vol. VIII, No. II, April 1853)Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons
Religion
The Pennsylvania Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (Vol. VIII, No. II, April 1853)
Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons
Charities -- Periodicals; Prisons -- Periodicals
There is much reason to apprehend that such nuisances must work their
own abatement. If our authorities were strong enough and independent
enough, to lay hold of the BOYS AND GIRLS who constitute the materials
from which street-beggars are manufactured, and compel them (as a
matter of public safety) to submit to the discipline of an educational
and industrial school, it would make a bright opening in the prospect.
Or, if every man, woman and child who is found begging in the street,
were transferred at once to some charitable institution, (if they
have infirmities which prevent them from labor,) or to some working
institution, (if they are able-bodied,) and there put to some wholesome
labor in exchange for their sustenance and clothing, we should not be
without hope. But we see no way of suppressing the evil, if neither of
these methods is feasible.
NEW YORK PRISON ASSOCIATION.--We have seen only newspaper reports of
the proceedings at the eighth anniversary of this active and very
useful Association. We understand that their condemnation of the
yoke and the shower, as modes of punishment, is very emphatic and
unqualified, and among the interesting facts which are drawn from their
report, we select the following:--
In the city of New York, since 1848, disorderly conduct (in almost
every instance the result of strong drink) has steadily increased
from 703 to 2,660, or 278 per cent.; intoxication has increased
about 75 per cent., and the two together from 5,579 to 11,280. By
a comparison of the prison statistics for the last five years, it
appears that crimes against property have increased only about 50
per cent.; but that crimes against the person have increased 129
per cent., or from 1,300 in 1843 to 2,920 in 1852.
The increase has been the greatest in the highest crimes. Thus we
find assaults to kill were 25 in 1848, and 39, 59, 61 and 75 in
1852, or three-fold. Manslaughter, in 1848, was 3, and then 4, 16,
11 in 1852, almost four-fold. Murder in 1848 was 9, and 9, 15, 21
and 56 in 1852, or more than six-fold.
Ninety per cent. of the whole number committed to this prison
during the past year, were intemperate! The returns of sixteen
State Prisons, for the year 1851, give us a grand total of 4,507
prisoners, 3,006 of whom were imprisoned for offences against
property, and 784 against the person.
It is stated that there is a greater number of cases of bigamy and
perjury in the State of New York, than in all the other fifteen
States; there being twenty-one cases of bigamy in New York, and
only fifteen in the other States; and seventeen cases of perjury to
three in all the other States.
The average period of confinement in Connecticut is six years,
seven months, twenty-nine days; and in the Eastern Penitentiary of
Pennsylvania it is only two years, six months and three days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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