The Press. MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1903. THE POSSIBILITIES OF PENAL REFORM.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11562, 20 April 1903, Page 4

The Press. MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1903. THE POSSIBILITIES OF PENAL REFORM.

In 1897, a member of tha English aristocracy (Lord William Nevill) was convicted of crime, and sent to penal servitude. He "did his time," and being a man of intellect, and also of humanity, he made some notes on the condition obtaining in his Majesty's gaols, with a view to improving the lot of those members of the human family who fall into error and the clutch of tho law. Thus he plucked from the nettle of his own mrsfortuftes what may prove to be healing balm for scores of the social body. Finding that his notes, when shown to a few intimate friends, proved to bo of interest, he decided to sacrifice his natural preference for obscurity by publishing them, in the hope that they might hasten the work of prison reform. The first edition appeared irr January of this year, a second impression in February, and in the same month yet a third impression was required to satisfy the great demand for wfoat was declared on all sides to bo a thoroughly interesting book. It should be widely read in these colonies, fcr though ii- speaks of English gaols, yet the social organism is the fame beneath these skies as at Home, and the hope cf ultimately eliminating tho criminal is one utiat must thrill our .hearts as it does those of progressives in our Motherland. Nothing less than this is held out by the author, as the> results of bus observations of criminals and their treatment. "Facts and figures," he say*, "prove beyond dispute that every humane reform of the penal laws, and the prison system, has made tbe people less criminal, and has been a safeguard to society, instead of a danger." As a result of the reform legislation of 1864, there is actually less crime in England, because the laws are milder, and the treatment of prisoners more rational. An immense reform then effected was that a multitude of offences which were formerly punishable by long terms of penal servitude, are now punishable only by imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for periods not exceeding two years, and in most cases wlicie penal servitude may be inflicted, the judges have the power to substitute the shorter and lighter punishment of imprisonment. Two other reforms are equally effective and farreaching: the segregation of first offenders, and the special treatment of young offenders. In 1879, for the first time, first offenders were placed by themselves, and not allowed any communication with the habitual criminals- The result was an immediate lewening of the number who returned io penal servitude., showing that the right way had been hit upon to make the prison a reforming instead of a corrupting agent. "Yet," says our author, '"though the good effects of the new system in convict prisons were very speedily se*n, it took eighteen years to overcome the apathy, or conservatism, of the Home Office authorities, bo as to get at extended to local prisons. There, also, the result has been excellent."

Tha other great refoim, tho special treatment, of children, is also doing its share to nip criminality in the bud. At Bedford Prison, instead of being herded with criminals, children under sixteen are bow handled under a special system, and

are treated more as if tJwy were at a rather rough and strict school, than as if they were undergoing punishment in gaol. Good results have followed, and now "'juvenile Jadulta," that is, offenders be. tween the ages of sixteen and twenty-one, are collected from the different prisoiui in London, *r*d seat to a section of Borstal Prison, which will be a reformatory for them, with education, drill, and instruction in tracks and industries. The Commissioners of Prisons speak hopefully of this experiment, Our author's principal further reform proposed is the partial remission of first offenders* sentences, as a reward for good conduct. His second reform is the standardising of sentences, that is, tho reducing them to somo sort of recognised measure, so that no judge should have the power to pass less than a certain minimum, or more than a certain maximum sentence

for any given crime. He gives many instances to prove that, the discretion cf judges needs some restriction, and as long aa there is such a thing as liver complaint, most men will have no hesitation in subscribing to his view. He thinks the most hopeful plan is Sir Crackeotborpe's, viz., to get. rix judges of the King's Bench Division to average all the sentences they have ever given, tabulating them, for the various crime*, and that the general averago should be made by law'the standard of sentences for all judges. His only.suggestion in addition is Chat, to supply practical experience of ptuiishments, the judge should be assisted by examining a certain number of men who have undergone sentences of penal servitude. The third reform advocated is the extension to indoor prison labourers of the improved dietary lately authorised for outdoor labour?!*. The old dietary was organised starvation, and had a terrible effect on both the health audi the morals of prisoners. The new dietary, introduced in 1901, baa had marked effects, violence, or misconduct of any sort., having become rare, while there has been a wonderful increase of industry. "The evidence is overwhelming "that punishment by hunger, which pre- " vailed from 1864 to 1901, was not only "a, crime, buit a colossal blunder. It en- " tailed toiserablo suffering and lifelong in"jury on tens of thousands of helpless "wretches; it cost the Stat, vast sums "of money, and it was clearly responsible "for many of the defect* and disappoint"ments of an otherwise ..enlightened penal "system." The last reform urged by our author is the mosb imperative of all. He .wants a, estop put to the wicked and senseless practice of committing young children to p_i_o_t. Tho Prisons' Report of 1902 contains many melancholy and indignant passages written by Governors of Prisons, protesting against this. ''The facts brought to light, and fully verified in these report*, show an almost incredible want of good feeling on tho part of magistrates. What," he asks, '"are we to think "of men, vested with judicial authority, "who know no "better than to send two "little brothers of twelve and nine, respectively, to gaol for five days, in de- " fault of payment of four shillings for " damaging a fenoe, and dozens of others of "twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, for such "awful crimen as throwing snowballs, let"ting off crackers, or playing football in

"tho street? .... Ira to multitude "of cases of child imprisonment, the " crime ia not with the children, but with "tho magistrates. Ia free and Chrirtian "England! it ougbb to be made absolutely "illegal to send any boy or girl under " sixteen to prison, at least until a reforma* "tory had been tried and failed. The "system of , -onvi-ti!ng , penniless children " for nom-payment of a fine ought also to "b. abolished."

So much for the real result* of the author's term of penal servitude. Wo aro uncertain how far he was to 'blame, and how far he was the victim of ill-luck, and, perhaps, injustice, when he received; his *entence. But if he was morally in fault he has nobly redeemed his character. We close his book with a feeling of deep respect for ono who could rise above the numbing effects of a criminal conviction, and prove himself a hn.ma.no and worthy member of our social system.