House of Correction.—The establishment of a House of Correction, (an institution intermediate to the almshouse, and prison,) was referred to last year, as an object of much interest to the community, and a hope was expressed that this highly important advance in the reformatory movements of our Commonwealth, might, under the Act of March, 1860, be soon carried into effect. It is cause for regret, however, that no substantial advance has yet been made. The delay in purchasing the ground, and erecting the necessary buildings, is understood to be occasioned by the City Councils having failed to make an appropriation of the requisite funds. The measure is so important, that we earnestly hope that the different parties having the control of it, may, by hearty and united action, be enabled to bring this long desired establishment into early and successful operation.
Prison Society’s Visitors and Visiting.—We propose now to refer to the subject of visiting the prisons and the prisoners, the duties of which we feel to be of constant obligation, and if faithfully discharged, under right qualification, we believe to be of importance, second to nothing else, which devolves upon the Society. As heretofore, the Acting Committee, (consisting of the officers of the Society, ex officio, and forty-four other members), has been divided into two sub-committees: one of them being allotted as visitors to the Eastern Penitentiary, and the other to the County Prison. These Committees have been regularly organized, and each of them has held Stated Monthly Meetings, at which Reports have been received from the individual members, as to the character of their services during the month, and these Reports, or a summary of them, have been transmitted to the Monthly Meetings of the Acting Committee. From the accounts thus received, there is reason to believe that the interest in this service has in no degree abated, and that the duties of the visitors are discharged with increased efficiency. Owing to the long continued indisposition of one or two of the members of the Penitentiary Committee, and the protracted absence from the city of others, the aggregate number of visits paid there is not quite equal to that reported last year. There have been, however, 175 written Reports received from members of this Committee, by which we are informed that 656 visits were paid by them to that institution during the course of the year, in which 7,031 interviews were had with the prisoners, 4,728 of which took place within the cells, and 2,303 at the cell doors. We have no doubt but that many other visits were paid, but omitted to be reported.
The manner of meeting the prisoners is in a kindly spirit, approaching them not as convicts, but as men, the consequence of which is, that the entrance of a member of the Committee into a cell proves, with rare exceptions, a source of real satisfaction to the inmates; confidence being by this means established, an avenue is opened to their better feelings, and on being inquired of, they freely give a history of their past lives, and state what were the immediate influences under which the crime was committed, which resulted in their being confined in a felon’s cell. The information thus obtained, has fully convinced us, that a very large proportion of the vice existing, and of the crimes committed, if traced to their root, will be found to spring from Intemperance.
It must be remembered that this baneful influence is not limited to those individuals who commit crimes while under the immediate effect of the intoxicating draught, nor even to such, and those who by their ruinous habits, have brought themselves into such a state of destitution and degradation, that their necessities present strong temptations, and at the same time their sense of the obligations of integrity and the rights of their fellowmen, is so weakened, that the fatal step is easily taken. But to these two classes must be added the children of such, who, growing up under the influence of the evil example of the parent, feeling the degradation which he has brought upon his family, and suffering from the destitution which he has entailed upon them, and at the same time, being without the benefit of any sound moral and religious instruction, and permitted to roam the streets in idleness, without the knowledge of any business, are easy victims to the attacks of the tempter. When will the proper authorities of the land, by the enactment of suitable and effective laws, lay the axe to the root of this giant evil?
In these interviews with the prisoners, such counsel is given, as seems suited to their condition, so far as the visitors feel themselves qualified, not unfrequently, as we trust, seeking for Divine aid in the performance of the service. We believe that many, during their confinement, are improved in their moral perceptions, and reach the conviction that “honesty is the best policy,” and are thus brought to resolve to endeavor to lead a correct life from the time of their discharge, and we hope that not a few of these, with the Divine blessing on their efforts, have not again relapsed into their former course of vice and crime, and that some, even amongst those who may not have yet attained to the true ground of reformation, an abhorrence of themselves in the sight of God, may, through Divine mercy, before the close of life, experience that change of heart which will render them acceptable in His sight. And we feel assured, that we have witnessed some instances of true conversion, which have resulted through the co-operation of Divine grace, with the instrumentalities connected with our prison system, and we cannot doubt but that the labors of our Prison Society have had some agency in effecting this happy change.
One peculiarly interesting case of this kind has recently occurred, which is thought to be of sufficient value to justify special reference to it. This was a young man, No. 4,160, aged 17, sentenced January 6, 1860, for two years and six months. He had been a very bad boy, and had been imprisoned before, (but not under our System,) without being benefited. After being in the Penitentiary several months, he was favored with a sense of the “exceeding sinfulness of sin,” and of his need of a Saviour, and by yielding to the monitions of Divine grace, he in due time, as we trust, experienced an entire change of heart, and attained to a state of acceptance in the Divine sight. Several months before the termination of his sentence, he was attacked with consumption, which soon gave evidence that he was not long for this world. During the remainder of his term, his disease steadily progressed and he often suffered much, but he was entirely reconciled to his condition, and felt comparatively happy, esteeming it as a great mercy that he had been placed there, where as he said he had found his Saviour. He only hoped that he might not die till he was discharged, and reached the arms of his pious mother at a distance from this city, for her comfort and his own. On the 6th of July last, at the termination of his sentence, he was discharged. This occurred on the first day of the week. A member of our Committee took him from the Penitentiary to his own house, and kept him there until he could be suitably forwarded to his mother. This member in referring to him remarks, “One evening, after our family reading [of the Scriptures], I went up with him to his chamber and knelt with him at his bedside in prayer, when we each offered up a petition to the Throne of Grace. I was about leaving the room when he said, ‘Don’t go yet, stay and have a good talk.’ I did so, when we had a full and free interchange of thought. I questioned him as to what he was resting his hopes of pardon on, and found that it was on the only sure foundation,—Christ Jesus and his atoning sacrifice.” He reached his mother, and was with her nearly a month when he died on the 8th of August last. The following is an extract from a letter written by her to the member referred to, a few days after his decease: “I know you and Mrs. —— will sympathize with a sorrow-stricken mother. My darling child is no more. He sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, at 4 o’clock on Friday, August 8th, after three days’ great suffering, which he bore without one murmur. His answers to all were surprising, his conversation humble and childlike. His confidence in his Saviour never wavered; patient, gentle, and loving to all, but to his poor mother he was all love. How hard I feel it to say, Thy will be done! His consoling words to me were, ‘My dear mother, don’t weep but look up.’ In the valley he felt his Saviour’s presence.” Soon after, she addressed to the same another letter, from which the following is an extract: “I did not know how dear I loved him until we were called on to part. His patience under such suffering was surely the work of grace, so gentle, so meek. For a week he seemed to be getting somewhat better, and a ray of hope shot up, he would be spared for some time at least. But four days before his death, ... his agony was great, but not one word of complaint escaped his lips. His whole conversation was his Saviour’s wonderful love. His anxiety for the children’s conversion, especially his brother Thomas, was great, and his prayer that God would make him the instrument in converting one soul was lovely to me, nor have I one doubt but that [his] prayers will be answered.... For the whole day before he died, he kept on saying, ‘Dearest mother, look up but don’t weep.’ At 4 o’clock he called for his brothers and sisters to bid them farewell, which he did, shook hands and kissed each one with a prayer, that his Saviour would grant them grace so to live, as they would meet him in heaven,—but to Thomas he said, ‘Kneel beside me, dear brother.’ Thomas did so, and then James said, ‘Dearest Thomas, will you promise your dying brother to seek the Lord, to give him your whole heart?’ Thomas said he would try; then he lifted his dying eyes to heaven and said distinctly, ‘O Saviour, grant him grace to keep this solemn promise.’ He seemed in great pain. I asked him how the Saviour appeared to him in the dark valley. Aloud and clear he said, ‘Dearest mother, Jesus is precious.’ These were his last words. He became insensible, and continued in a sort of stupor until a few minutes before 4 o’clock, when I whispered in his ear, ‘Do you know your mother, my son?’ He turned such a lovely look of recognition, moved his lips for me to kiss him, I did so, one gentle sigh, and all was over.”
In the introduction to this branch of the Report, we speak of visiting the prisons and the prisoners. The Law incorporating our Prison Society, and that conferring on the Acting Committee the character of Official Visitors, contemplate that in addition to the salutary influence we may endeavor to exert upon the prisoners, by social intercourse with them, and impressing upon them moral and religious instruction, we should also observe the workings of our Prison System, bring anything which appears to be wrong to the notice of the proper authorities, that it may be remedied, and suggest any reforms or improvements in the System which may appear to be desirable. Under this view of our duties and privileges, our Committee, besides observing the general condition of the Institution, as to good order, cleanliness, healthfulness, &c., make special inquiries as to the supply of labor furnished the prisoners, whether the ignorant and illiterate among them receive proper attention from the teacher, how they are progressing in their learning, and if those who can read are freely supplied with books from the prison library, and have copies of the Sacred Scriptures placed in their cells. All these inquiries have resulted satisfactorily, excepting that the teaching force is not sufficient to give such frequent lessons to those requiring them, as would be desirable. The progress which many of them make is very gratifying, and indeed surprising. The instances are frequent, where prisoners who entered wholly without school-learning, that is to say, without any knowledge of letters or figures, in a very few months, are able to read, write, and cipher, with considerable facility, and a very gratifying circumstance connected with this is, that most of them highly value the knowledge they are thus acquiring.
The library is now in a very good condition, having been overhauled during the year and a new catalogue prepared, after withdrawing several hundred mutilated and imperfect volumes from the collection. It now contains about 2,600 volumes, all complete and in a good state of preservation, about 2,060 in the English, and 540 in the German and French languages. While the library was regularly open, 11,526 books were loaned, and in addition, considerable reading matter was furnished during the several months in which they were engaged in examining and re-arranging the books, of which no regular record was kept.
The various officers of the Penitentiary, by their general kindness and good temper in their care of and intercourse with the prisoners, evidence their fitness for their position, and as “like begets like,” similar deportment is reciprocated by the prisoners towards them. This is one of the excellent features of our System, which rarely, if ever, calls for the exercise of harshness by the keepers, and, consequently, instead of vindictive or bitter feelings being excited towards them, on the part of those under their control, a mutual feeling of sympathy is frequently brought into action. This was recently very pleasantly exemplified in the presence of a member of our Committee. A keeper, who had charge of about thirty prisoners in one of the corridors, received intelligence of the death of a son in the army, and having obtained leave of absence for a few days that he might go to Virginia to bring home the remains, before leaving, called at the cell of each of those under his care and bade them farewell. Both the words and deportment of the prisoners evidenced that they sympathized with their caretaker in his bereavement. It is also a general practice with the keepers in the evening, as they pass from cell to cell to hand in a light and lock the doors, to exchange a parting salutation with the inmates. We think it must be self-evident, that such a condition of things is much more favorable as a school of reform than that where the harshness of discipline prevails, which is said to be inseparable from the Silent System. The former is like the mellow soil moistened by the gentle shower, which receiving the seed kindly, when deposited by the hand of the husbandman, it soon germinates, and in due season brings forth fruit, which abundantly rewards him for all his toil. Whilst the latter is like the arid, indurated clay, upon which equally good seed may have been scattered, but being dry and impenetrable, it either never springs up, or at best it has a stunted growth, and its yield never compensates for the labor bestowed upon it. The entire number of prisoners in the Penitentiary during the year 1862 was 586. The largest number at any one time was 451, on the first day of the year, and the smallest 353. The number in confinement there on the first day of this year (1863) was 369, to wit: white males 297, white females 18, black or colored males 51, and black females 3. There were 6 deaths and 18 pardons in the course of the year.
The Committee on the County Prison have attended faithfully to their duty as visitors during the year, but the reports from them are not so minute as those from the Committee on the Penitentiary, and, consequently, we are unable to analyze them so as to set forth the particulars of their services. One of the members so thoroughly devotes his time to the duty, as to visit the prison more than 500 times during the year, generally twice a day for more than 250 days. The other members report having among them paid 419 visits in the course of the year.