Sometimes a little temporary out-door relief meets the necessity of the case, and occasionally an immediate return to her family is deemed advisable; but in the large majority of instances, these poor women are entirely unfit to be restored to society at large without further probation. A refuge is needed to give the opportunity of preparation for entering upon the duties of a changed course of life. “The quiet discipline of those institutions, the word of God there faithfully taught, the encouraging influence of Christian ladies there met with, have mercifully been blessed to the softening of many a hard heart, and to the healing of many a broken spirit.”
When it is believed that the penitence is sincere, and the hope of restoration decided, the individual is sent direct to the “Elizabeth Fry Refuge,” as a preliminary to other more permanent asylums, or to await the future arrangements that may appear most desirable for her. The funds of the “Elizabeth Fry Refuge” permit fifteen of these patronage cases to be kept in the house free of expense, as on the foundation; all above that number are paid for by the British Ladies’ Society, at the rate of $1.75 each, weekly.
Two hundred and sixty-four cases were disposed of by this committee between June, 1856, and June, 1858.
The report contains brief notices of the cases occurring at the several prisons, and it is quite evident that the machinery is well adapted to the purpose in view, and is eminently successful in its workings.
There can be no doubt of the softening and subduing influence exerted upon the mind of a prisoner under almost any circumstances, by the visit of an intelligent Christian friend. However kind and sympathising the attending officers may be, “the presence of some one connected with the outer world is in itself a relief from the monotony of prison life. Thus the prisoner is predisposed to listen kindly to words kindly spoken, by one who voluntarily, for a time, shares her cell, and reads the only book which reveals authoritatively the terms of acceptance on which both must rely for pardon and salvation.”
To those who are disposed to serve in the self-denying and often discouraging work of prison-visiting, it may not be amiss to suggest that the prompt attention to each new case is very important. An influence for good may be acquired, which will, perhaps, give a new direction to the conduct of the prisoner for the full time of penal servitude. The voice of kindness and sympathy heard when the offender first realizes the consequences of his course, may be more efficacious than at any subsequent period.
There is a public institution, corresponding in its principal features to the houses of reception to which we have referred. It is the Government “Refuge” at Fulham. Prisoners who have conducted themselves well at Millbank and Brixton, and who are likely to profit by more individual attention than they can receive at either of those prisons, are, during the concluding period of their imprisonment, placed in the Government ‘Refuge’ at Fulham. Being selected with a view to their being placed in service, or being provided with some means of obtaining an honest livelihood after they are liberated, they are instructed in laundry and household work of every kind; and every means employed in the best Reformatories are here afforded, with the encouragement of knowing that, while they behave well, the penal character of this last stage of imprisonment is merged in the enjoyment of all the spiritual and temporal privileges which they could meet with in an asylum for the free. We are enabled to state, on the best authority, that, out of eighty cases which had left the Fulham Refuge in the month of April last, sixty were doing well.
Among the country institutions, having in view the welfare of discharged female prisoners, and not under the control of a Government or Magistrates, is a refuge at Bristol, “where the hopeful discharged female prisoner (above sixteen years of age) enters direct from prison by her own free will, and under a promise to submit to the rules of the house. She undergoes a probation of three weeks or a month in her dormitory, during which time she is daily visited by one or more ladies, who thus obtain a moral influence before the probationer is admitted to hold free intercourse with her future companions.” Thus prepared, the inmates are afterwards trained to all sorts of household employment. Daily religious instruction is given, and the singing of psalms and hymns practised; they are also taught reading and writing, and the first elements of arithmetic and geography; knitting, also, that very useful branch of female industry, is introduced. Ten young women have been provided during the year with respectable situations, and not one of them has again been accused of dishonesty. It is mentioned as an evidence of the genuineness of reform, that a small gold brooch, found by one of the inmates, while clearing a room, was given up, and, after many inquiries for the owner, was restored to a lady who had visited the asylum; also, that a £5 note, folded very small, was found by the youngest inmate; this, also, was immediately given up, and restored to the owner, a few hours afterwards.
In the report of the Exeter Refuge allusion is made to the fact, that the introduction of the Separate System into the prison there, has reduced the number of prisoners greatly. Of 199 discharged female prisoners received, fifteen are now under care, and a good account is given of 104 who have left it. We cannot but regard such a measure of success as most encouraging. That much of this success is owing to the individual separation of the convicts cannot be doubted. Indeed, the visitors to the Falmouth Prison emphatically condemn it for the absence of that principle. “With regard to our prison I can say nothing encouraging; there is no change with regard to its arrangements. Some of those who are interested for the poor people immured within its walls, do what they can to keep the necessity of improvement before the public, and there are two who visit regularly, as they may find it convenient, but I fear they can say nothing with regard to the effect produced. We feel that we must keep in view the injunction, ‘In the morning sow thy seed,’ &c. Could solitary (separate) confinement be but partially carried out, the case would be more encouraging; and we shall be most glad to have such a prison as would allow of our making trial of it.”
And in respect to the Gloucester Prison, a lady who has visited it regularly, says: “City convicts are received by the county; but prisoners before trial, summary convictions and prostitutes all herd together in one common ward and yard by day, and one large room by night, both rooms being out of sight and hearing of the Matron. I believe that I have mentioned this often to you; but it is so great an evil, and so dangerous to the comparatively innocent, that I cannot but advert to it again.”