The importance of the visitors from our Society, in aiding to carry out the intention of the law, that the prisoners should be frequently seen by proper persons other than the keepers, will be better appreciated when the fact is adverted to, that the law directs that “the Inspectors, in their weekly visits to the several places of confinement, shall speak to each prisoner confined therein.” And with regard to the Warden, the law says, “he shall visit every cell and apartment, and see every prisoner, under his care, at least once in every day.”
In speaking on the subject of visiting, and the care extended to discharged prisoners, we have more directly referred to the Penitentiary than the County Prison, for particular reasons. A prominent one is, that the Penitentiary illustrates the “Pennsylvania System,” while the County Prison, on account of the crowds sent there for vagrancy, intoxication, disorderly conduct, &c., does so very imperfectly. Another is, that the population of the latter, being of a less permanent and settled character, the same systematic course of visiting cannot be
carried out, and consequently a detailed record of the proceedings there has not reached us. The visitors allotted to that prison have discharged their duty very faithfully, and the members, in the course of the year, have had numerous interviews with those confined there.
“The Association of Women Friends.”—The care of visiting the female departments in both prisons has been left with “The Association of Women Friends” (to whom our Prison Society makes an annual appropriation), who have undertaken the service from a conscientious sense of duty, and, we trust, with much benefit to the visited. In the year 1861, they paid 1065 visits to the female prisoners in the Penitentiary and County Prison, of which 499 were at the former, and 566 at the latter. They state in their report that they “are encouraged from time to time, by many little evidences, that their labors are not in vain in the Lord. In a few instances, apparent amendment of life has been the result of His blessing on their feeble efforts.”
Death of Richard Williams.—Since our last annual meeting, Richard Williams, who had long been pleasantly associated with us as a member of the Acting Committee, and who had been a faithful, kind-hearted, and useful visitor at the Eastern Penitentiary, has, in the ordering of inscrutable wisdom, been removed from works, as we trust, to the fruition of rewards amongst the blessed.
EDWARD H. BONSALL,
TOWNSEND SHARPLESS,
CHARLES C. LATHROP,
ALFRED H. LOVE.
Philadelphia, 1st Mo. (Jan.) 23, 1862.
APPENDIX.
REPORT ON THE SUBJECT OF LAW SHORTENING SENTENCES.