For the Belfast Monthly Magazine..

AN ACCOUNT OF THE STATE PRISON, OR PENITENTIARY HOUSE IN NEW-YORK; BY ONE OF THE INSPECTORS OF THE PRISON.

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(Concluded from page 177.) Hospital. A physician is appointed by the spectors to attend the prison, and is allowed an annual salary of two hundred dollars. A large and airy apartment, on the second floor of the north west wing of the prison, is appropriated to an hospital, where the sick are conveyed, if,, in the opinion of the physician, they need medical aid. As the prison is situated in a distant part of the city, and accidents may sometimes happen which demand immediate medical assistance, a suitable person is provided by the physician, to reside constantly in the prison, in the capacity of an apothe cary. He is allowed diet and lodge ing. He prescribes for the sick, if necesary, in the absence of the phy sician. Fit persons are selected from the prisoners as nurses, and are under the direction of the apothecary, The physician visits the sick, and prescribes for them twice in each week, or oftener, if their diseases requine greater attention. Any changes in diet, dress, or employment, which may think necessary to the geneBELFAST MAG, NO, xxxx.

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ral health of the prisoners, are represented by him in writing to the inspectors, to be considered by them, and carried into effect so far as may be consistent with the principles and objects of the institution.

Under the direction of the physici an, the apothecary keeps a book, in which are inserted the names of the sick, their ages, occupations, and discases, the cominencement and duration of their maladies, the termination of them, the number cured, relieved, or whose cases terminate fatally. He also registers the nature and quantity of medicines administered, and the diet and general regimen, including cloathing, prescribed by the physician.

Means for warm and cold bathing are provided, and a machine for the purpose of affording exercise to those who are confined to the hospital. Those who are capable of taking exercise in the open air, are permitted to do so, under the direction of the apothecary.

the hospital, called the hospitalA separate kitchen is provided for kitchen, upon the ground floor of the same wing, where diet for the sick is prepared. This is committed to the management of a suitable person chosen from among the prison

ers.

In this kitchen, three copper boilers of an oval form with flat bottoms, are put up in the ner recommended by Count Rum

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ford. The largest contains twelve gallons, the others about seven gallons each. One bushel of coals, which costs 36 cents, is all the fuel wanted in this kitchen for one week, and besides cooking, heats the water that may be necessary in the hospital. About twenty-five persons, on an average, are fed from this kitchen each day.

Many of those who came into the prison with constitutions greatly impaired by excessive drinking, de bauchery, and vicious habits, after being some time used to the system of temperance, order, and industry established in the prison, have become healthy and vigorous.

Reformation.

The end of human punishments is the prevention of crimes. In the endeavour to attain this end, three things are to be considered; the amendinent of the offender; the deterring of others by his example; reparation to society and the party injured. Of these objects, the first .without doubt is of the highest importance. Society cannot be better secured against crimes, than by era dicating the evil passions and corrupt habits which are the sources of guilt. The operation of punishment as a terror to others, is generally considered as momentary and uncertain in its effects; for men are often found so regardless of the future, as to perpetrate crimes at the instant they are witnessing the most dreadful execution of a criminal for a similar offence. The punishment of death precludes the possibility of the amendment of the criminal by any human means. Every hope of reformation is at once cut off without a single effort to accomplish so just and benevolent a purpose. Society and the injured party are indeed, in the strictest sense, avenged on the head of the guilty oflender. Justice, however,

not revenge, is the true foundation of the right of punishment. But it is not the design of the present work to discuss the principles of a code of criminal law, or to point out the er rors which have been perpetuated by the passions or ignorance of legislators.

If society is effectually secured against future mischief by the imprisonment of the offender, it is that mode of punishment also which af fords the only chance of reclaiming him from evil. It is by confinement to hard labour in a penitentiary house, that the primary and legiti mate purpose of human punishment is to be effected. The characters of men are endlessly diversified, and their motives and actions assume a thousand different hues. In considering convicts, we may, in general, distinguish them into three classes: Men grown old in habits of profligacy and violence, unfeeling and desperate offenders, who discover no signs of contrition, and yield little hope of amendment: those who in early life have received a moral and religious education, and, though afterwards led by passion and evil example into the commission of crimes, still retain some sense of virtue: those who, having sustained a fair reputation, are arrested for the first public offence, before they have become familiar with vice; who wished, perhaps, to return to the path of virtue, but had not energy enough to retrace their steps.

In forming an opinion of the depravity of convicts, nothing can be more unjust than to confound these different classes in the same judgment. All were once innocent; but blinded by passion, allured by present temptation, they have mistaken their true interest, and been gradually led into the depths of vice and criminality. In designating punish

ments for various offences, the legislator can regard only the tendency of actions to injure society, and distribute those punishments according to the comparative degrees of harm such actions may produce. He can not foresee those circumstances in the moral condition of the agent which may justly lessen or aggravate his guilt; and by the wise constitution and jealous policy of our laws, judges are not vested with any discretionary power to apportion the punishment according to a greater or less criminality of intention in the offender. It is in a penitentiary house that an opportunity is afforded of distinguishing the shades of guilt in different offenders, and of correcting that error and injustice, in some degree inseparable from the best system of laws, by which persons, whose guilt admits of different degrees, are subjected to the same punishment.* It is for those to whom the superintendence of such an institution is intrusted, to effect, as far as possible, the amendment of the delinquent, and thus to fulfil the highest duty of humanity. And it is with no small pleasure that the Inspectors have observed, that a number of those who have been discharged from the prison confided to their care, have continued in habits of industry and sobriety, and bid fair to become good members of society. It would, no doubt, be in teresting to the philanthropist, to be informed of the particular inci

This topic may be enlarged upon in the conclusion, when we come to speak of pardons. It would greatly assist the Inspectors in the just exercise of their power, if the judges who sentence convicts were required to furnish a statement of all the circumstances that attended the

trial, or which may have come to their knowledge, and which may serve to render the guilt of the convict, in their opinion, more or less aggravated.

dents in the lives of such men, and the circumstances which have furnished ground to predict the rectitude of their future conduct. But this would, in some degree, lead the writer beyond his immediate object; and motives of prudence and charity ought, perhaps, to induce him, for the present, to forbear such a recital.

The most efficacious means of reformation are to be found in that system of regular labour and exact temperance, by which habits of industry and sobriety are formed. The inspectors have not been unmindful of other means of amendment, less immediately connected with the nature of the punishment to which the convicts are sentenced. By the great attention paid to cleanliness in every part of the prison, they have shown their opinion of its importance in aiding reformation. Its benign influence on the physical character, though wel understood by many, is not duly estimated by the bulk of mankind. Though its effects on bodily health be more obvious, its less striking but equally certain effect on the mind has been no where more fully experienced than in this prison. It is found to soften the temper, meliorate the disposition, and to produce a regard to temperance, order, and industry; and by exciting more agreeable and tranquil sensations, to render men susceptible of good impressions, and thereby conduce to their future amendment.*

In the winter, those of the con

Count Rumford, (vol. i. page 34), in his Essays, speaking of the good effects produced on the mendicants in the House of Industry, at Munich, by cleanliness, says, that "virtue never dwelt long with filth and nastiness; nor do I believe there cleanliness, who was a consummate villain." ever was a person scrupulously attentive to

victs who have appeared to be most meritorious, are allowed, with the approbation of the keeper, to be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. Teachers are selected from such of them as are competent, and twenty are permitted to meet together daily with one of the keepers, and to receive instruction for about two hours in the evening. This is considered as a privilege, and conferred on those only, who, by a peaceable, industrious, and regular course of conduct, have shown a disposition towards reformation. It is a further requisite for admission into this school, that the person should have performed labour above his task to the value of four shillings a week, which is to pay for the implements of writing, light, and fuel.

Care is taken, as far as possible, to separate the less vicious from the more hardened and daring offenders. About twenty-two of the most obdurate criminals are kept confined, and at work in separate apartments, and are not suffered to come out, or to have communication with other prisoners, but are constantly watched by keepers day and night. Experience will evince, that among any given number of convicts, one tenth part may be fairly considered as desperate and hardened villains, who appear incorrigible; and it is of importance that such should be carefully selected and separated from the rest, as it is more probable they may, by proper management, be reformed.

As another means of reformation, attention is paid to their religious and moral instruction.

A large room in the prison, very neatly finished, is set apart for the purpose of divine worship. This room, and the gallery round it, will accomodate about six hundred per

sons.

In this place, the prisoners are aș sembled on the first day of each week, when one of their number reads a sermon and prayers, and the rest join in singing psalms.

Itisexpected that the public preachers of the gospel in the city, will cheerfully devote a small portion of their time to the service of these un

happy beings, who have so much need of their instruction, and of the counsel of the truly good and benevolent.

As no distinction of sect exists in this great work of charity and benevolence, it is hoped that religious characters of every Christian depomination will feel it their duty to visit them on the day set apart for divine worship; since it is obvious that a due attention to this important duty, must produce the most salutary effects on the minds and conduct of the prisoners, and most powerfully promote the great plan of reformation.*

Connected with this scheme of punishment and reformation, is another object, which, though of inferior importance in a moral view, is yet deserving of attention. is, indemnity to the community for the expense of the conviction and maintenance of the offender. It is

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highly probable, that, with due management and economy, the profit of the labour of the convicts may be rendered equal to their support. Such a result, however, has not been anticipated by the zealous friends of reform in penal law in Europe. They have regarded it as the indispensable duty of legislators, to meliorate the laws, and correct the abuses of prisons, without count

"As rational and immortal beings we owe this to them, nor can any criminality of theirs justify our neglect in this parti cular." HOWARD.