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walls have been found occasionally unavailing: upon this plan, the thinne
would be sufficient: a circumstance which must operate in a striking degree
towards a diminution of the expence.
In this, as in every other application of the plan, you find its ient
not less conspicuous than its coercive, tendency: insomuch that, if you were
be asked, who had most cause to wish for its adoption, you might find yourself
at some loss to determine, between the malefactors themselves, and those
those for whose sake they are consigned to punishment.
In this view, I am sure, you cannot overlook the effect which it would
have in rendering unnecessary that inexhaustible fund of disproportionable
too often needless, and always unpopular severity, not to say extortion,
the use of irons. Confined in one of these Cells, every motion of his limbs
and every muscle of his face, exposed to view, what pretence could there be
for exposing to this hardship even the most boisterous malefactor? In
with perfect liberty wihin the space allotted to him, is what worn way could
he vent his rage than by beating his head against the wall? and who by
himself would be a sufferer by such folly?⊞
⊞ Noise, the only
offence, by which a
man, thus encaged,
could render himself
troublesome,
(an offence, by this
bye, against which
irons themselves
afford no security)
might, if found otherwise
incorrigible
be introduced by gagging:
a most natural
and efficacious
mode of prevention,
as well as punishment,
the prospect
of which would probably
be forever
sufficient, to render
the infliction of it
unnecessary. Punishment,
even in its
most horrid form
loses its odious character,
when benefit of that uncertainty,
without which the
rashest desperado
would not expose
himself to its stroke.
If an instance be wanted,
To produce think what the means
are, which the so
effect aimed at by
the
much admired Laws of England
makes use of, and that
in one of its most
admired branches,
what are the means application
which that so
much admired law
makes use of
to work upon
its favourite class
of Judges? What but
Death? and that
no common death,
but death the slow
but necessary result
of lingering torture.
And yet, whatever
other reproach the
law may be thought
to merit is the
in what in instance
was it ever seen to
expose itself on in this
account way to the reproach
of cruelty?
Letter 8 VIII.
In my last I endeavoured to state to you the advantages, which
a receptacle, upon the plan of my Brother's proposed building, seemed to
promise, in its application to places of confinement, considered merely in
that view: Give me leave now to consider it as applicable to the joint purposes
of punishment, reformation, and peceuniary economy.
That in regard to person of the description of those to whom punishments
of the nature in question are destined, solitude is in its nature
subservient to the purpose of reformation, seems to be as little disputed,
its tendency to operate in addition to the mass of sufferance. But that
this plan that purpose woul be effected, at last as completely as it could
on any other, you cannot but see at the first glance, or rather you must
have observed already. In the condition of our prisoner, (for so I call him
for shortness value,) you may see the students paradox, nunquam minus solus quam
solus realized in a new way; to the Keeper a multitude though not a
crowd; to themselves they are solitary and sequestered individuals.
What is more, you will see this purpose answered more completely
this plan than it could possibly be any other. What degree of solitude which
was proposed to reduce them to in the once-intended Penitentiary house
you need not trouble yourself to consider: but for one purpose, in building
of every mode of construction that could thence and there have been in view
it would have been necessary, according to the express regulations of that plan
that the law of solitude should be dispensed with: I mean, so often as the
prisoners were to receive the benefits of attendance on divine service. But
must
Note continued
intermediate area, might be precluded by a rail from approaching nearly
than to certain distance from the Cells: and in some cases all conversation
between them and the prisoners might be interdicted altogether. The propriety
of such a regulation may be thought to stand upon a different fooling
according as the confinement was previous t or subsequent to conviction
and according to the nature of the offence, and the intended severity
of the punishment.
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