“But the life at Borstal is not all work and no play for the Prison Commissioners have recognized that if a youth must work well it is essential that he play well, so recreation has not been forgotten. After five months a youth of behaviour and industry can obtain entrance to a special class and on three evenings in the week may meet with others, to play, to read and on Saturday afternoons may take part in football or cricket as the season serves.
“It will be seen that work, education and play all have a part in the life at Borstal but religion is not forgotten and I know of no religious service more impressive than some of those I have taken part in at this institution.
“Here is the programme of the daily life at the institution. At 5:30 the prisoner arises and begins the day with a biscuit and milk after which he cleans and tidies up his cell. At 7 o’clock he breakfasts on bread, porridge, margarine and with tea and coffee, if he is in the special grade. At 7:30 he is in the workshop or in the open; and carpentering, blacksmithing, bootmaking, building, gardening, cooking, cleaning, or laundry work, occupy him until noon, when dinner, consisting of bread, meat, potatoes and pudding await him. After an hour and ten minutes for dinner and rest he resumes work which continues until 5:30 when work ceases and there is a general parade reviewed by the Governor after which he gets his last food for the day, generally consisting of bread and cheese and a mug of cocoa.
“At 6:15 there is a general meeting in the Chapel when short addresses are given by the Chaplain and others and encouraging letters from discharged boys who are doing well are read. Then they go to the evening classes after which there is recreation for a few moments until 8:30 when they go to their cells and shortly after lights are out.”
Surely this is a sensible day’s programme, a sensible system and well applied. There are some faults in the plant but as the system grew from a very small beginning and the buildings were added from time to time this criticism is harsh. However, different planning would greatly facilitate the training and decrease the cost of maintenance. There are some in the system which are in process of being remedied. For instance, it is proposed to lengthen the period of licensed freedom to at least one year so that each boy can prove himself without need of care during the four seasons.
The care given these discharged Borstalians, either on license or having served their full time, is most admirable. They are in charge of the Borstal Association whose agents, aided by those of over 60 County Societies for the aid of discharged prisoners, have an eye, a very watchful eye, upon them and who report frequently to the Association, and a glance at their records, absolutely the most complete, concise and convenient imaginable, one can be familiar with the whole history of any individual. These records show, among multitudinous other things, that aid is frequently required to establish a boy as a self-supporting, self-respecting member of decent society. It is seldom more than assistance in procuring work, or a heart-to-heart “big brother” talk.
I wish every member of our committee could see these records. Besides their primary function of recording they furnish a wonderfully interesting human document, and a first-class text-book on crime causes, the chances for reformation of different characters, etc., etc., all based on the observation of the individual, not when under restraint, but when, comparatively speaking, a free agent.
Such records would have an incalculable value to us, if carefully kept by the Authorities or Prison Associations of the different States. In many places we are applying new systems, or old systems to new conditions. New problems are almost bound to arise, as the hordes of immigrants, reaching our shores daily, have their effect on the national type, and without exact data as to the cause of the failure of any system little can be done to better it, and a better weapon to induce legislation, not to speak of individual and corporate assistance in our work, would be hard to imagine.
What is called the full Borstal system has not been practiced long enough for some to consider it a proven success, but the figures here given, those for prisoners released in 1909, give cause for bright hopes at least.
| 174 | are at present conducting themselves satisfactorily, that is, 82 per cent. |
| 2 | are on hand, that is, as yet without permanent work. |
| 2 | are dead. |
| 18 | are unsatisfactory, irregular at work through their own fault. |
| 1 | is lost sight of, but there is no reason to think for evil. |
| 15 | have been re-convicted, all but one of which have refused two or more chances to work at fair wages. |