CRIMINAL REFORM. LESSONS FROM JAPAN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1908, Page 3

CRIMINAL REFORM. LESSONS FROM JAPAN.

AN ILLUMINATING ARTICLE. In one respect prison life is the same th? world over — tho deprivation of the prisoner's liberty. His individuality in the community is reduced to one Hem. In tho majority of countries he is a mpre member ; in all he is tho subject of strong, legal supervision, and in proportion as the prisoner is educated so is tho severity of this deprivation (writes Commissioner Nicol in the London Tribune). He may walk, but only co far and so often. He may eat, but by scaJe measured according to his grade. Ho may read, but only on certain conditions. There are things he nr:ubt do, he must work and he must think, and again the law of proportion ofter makes the latter the hardest and maddening. He must be drilled ana disciplined, too, and, most tortuous of all. he is compelled to be preached at. Dress it and reform it as you may, prison life is an ugly, unnatural, and baneful, if necessary, evil, and let no one imagine that what follows in any way makes prison life atti active. It is said that there are to bo found some who commit crime because of its reward. So they say ; ' but you have to find them, and when found, I fancy they will bo domiciled in the lunatic wing of the convict settlement. Piison life in Japan, with this proviso, can Nupply tho West with a few pointers, and the object ot this article is to convey to the reader some idea of how Japan has adapted the best of the Elmira system in America and the reformatory institutions of Europe to the treatment of the convict — in other words, Japan is at present engaged in a bold experiment to diminish crimp by attempting the reformation of the criminal. I visited the latest convict prison at Sagamo, Tokio, which, at enormous expense, has been erected with this object, to study its system and see it in operation. Tho governor answered in the frankest manner the interminable questions addressed to hiia, personally escorted me over the grounds into every department of labour, offices, libraries, hospital, surgery, cells (including the dark hole for prisoners found guilty of the worst form of misconduct), the chapel, cooking rooms, bathrooms, in short, realising the "possibility of the Army becoming a valuable outside auxiliary to fcha experiment, ha i\aß as desirous of imparting information as I was of obtaining it. INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT. Two things soon become apparent — namely, that the system is organised on the principle- of reforming • the individual, as distinct from his pure conviction; and that this is sought to be accomplished by systematically in T stilling him with thi practical knowledge of some industry by which he can earn an honest livelihood. The officers, from the governor down, are selected and trained to some extent accordingly. The one idea that a prisoner had to be caged and treated as a wild hyena is as dead as the feudal system, so far aa Japan is concerned. 'JLhey have no use for a system based on such conception of the unruly members of society. Legislation, education, and Government administration have for years now been permeated with the philosophy that crime is a disease, and ought to be diagnosed and treated much in the same way as small-pox or lunacy. On a prisoner being handed over to the governor almost the first attention he receives is from the governor himself or his deputy. What we. would call a "personal ' is gone through, and it ib on a pretty extensive scale. The man's crime, individuality, antecedents, appearance, circumstances, relations, are al 1 stamped on his mind, and the nrisoncr is from the start mado to feel that his incarceration can, if he likes, b© made the means of wiping out the reproach against bis character and family, and jetting him 'on a new and orderly and better path. In taking the convict by the hand in this way the governor is supported by a tine national sentiment. A released convict is not subjected to such social aversion and boycotting as in European countries. Ho is hpld to have puiged his offence, apd that tho brand "has been removed from his name, and though he may be deprived if he rises in society of certain privileges — that is, ho would not be appointed to a mayoralty or nominated as a member . of Parliaments-he is not looked down upon, and anyone proved guilty of bringing tip his past to his detriment in business can be severely punished. PRISON RULES. And here it may be well to look ourselves at. these regulations. The first four aie worth quoting in extenso, as revealing their spirit: — 1. Every prisoner shall be submissive, truthful, diligent, and be clean in every respect, and shall be especially careful to behave well and obey the orders of the officials of the prison. 2. In the cell order must be observed, and singing, shouting, or loud conversation is strictly forbidden. 3. Outside of the cell prisoners shall not freely indulge in convercation, nor take hold of another's hand. 4. To give, or receive, or beg, or borrow any .article, without poimission, is strictly forbidden. The prisoner further learns from the regulations some interesting facts, such as that he can assist his wite or parents by sending them his clothe* or other propei ly he may be legitimately found with; that in the event of the death of one or other of his parmts he will bj allowed to wear mourning, and be exempted from work for three days; that he can be allowed to rcceivp books on law and ordinance in full, stamped papers, postage sUnips, ordinaiy papers, coins, and other necessary articles; that reading of books is allowed on the days free from work,' on Sundays and in hours of le&t ; that he can write one- letter per month, and in case of • urgency, as often as the circumstances demand ; and that interviews with friends last for thirty minutes each. The regulations also unfold to x him a mass of particulars concerning work in prison, its terms of remuneration, as well as a number of rewards and punishments. When a prisoner, with specified work assigned to him, shall have served 100 clays of his term he is remunerated at the following rates: — For convicts serving for the first offence : — In case of grave offence, 2-10ths of the wages. In case of minor offence, 3-10ths of the wages. For convicts serving for a pecond offence : — In case of grave offence, l-10th of the wages. Id case of minor offence, 2-10ths of the wages. REWARDS FOR GOOD CONDUCT. Then there aro the rewurdb. Prisoners who have faithfully observed the prison regulations and havo been diligent in their work, and shown general imptovement, receive a reward oadge, which Berves as a. testimonial lor lecom*

mendation in case of pardon, temporal y release, or special pardon. This reward badge carries with it the following among other special pri\ ileges. 1. Special clothing. 2. Two letters instead of one a month. 3. Priority in taking tho bath. 4. An extra dish of food. 5. Higher rate of wages. The situation, space, and construction of tho prison weio conceived with tho object of accentuating the efforts for tho physical and mental elevation of the men. Everything is on a largo seale — cells, corridors, workrooms, and grounds are all laid out regardless of area. Dr. Hygiene has had full scope for his latest idea as to sanitation and ventilation. The telephone connects one department with another, and tho electric light turns night into day. Light, air, wholesome food, and healthy conditions of labour constitute altogether an environment with which but for the fact that the place is a prison, no quarter of the great city of Tokio can compare. IS CRIME DECREASING? What, then, is the result? Is crime lessening? Does the number of habitual criminals show any signs of decreasing? "It is too soon to say," was the wise answer of tho governor, for the experiment of the system which I havo described has only been in force for a few years. There are grounds, he considered, however, for indulging the hope that the effect of it on the young will bo satisfactory; but he was frank enough to add. sanguine man though be is, that so far the habitual criminal simply went out to return again. "And," do added, after carefully reflecting on how be should expreEft his judgment, "there isjv missing link somewhere, and I think it must bo supplied outside. There is nothing outside the prison that corresponds to our efforts inside. The hour a man leave* these grounds what is he to do if he has none of his old companions to go to, or if his friends refuse to associate themselves with him? Ho must go somewhere, ana il ne is a second or third timer he will go back to his old life, and in t'tro this gate will' reopen to reecho him."