484

CONCLUSION.

sylvania, which, in 1829, reformed its system of prison discip-line ; having built a new penitentiary near Philadelphia. Ac-cording to this plan, the isolation of the convicts is strict andperpetual. Each has a distinct cell to himself, in which he la-bors, and which he never leaves. No one convict ever seesanother; to his former associates, to his relatives, and to all theconcerns of the world, he is buried alive. The prison is so con-structed, that, on Sundays, the prisoners, may by putting theirears in a particular position, listen to the voice of a preacher.

This system has been earnestly advocated by the late Mr.Roberts Vaux and Edward Livingston, among many others; andcertainly strikes a transient visiter as containing every thing de-sirable in a prison, as the writer himself can witness, who saw itin the summer of 1835. The late William Roscoe has writtenagainst the system; but perhaps it has not yet been long enoughin operation, to furnish us with results sufficient to institute a de-cisive comparison of it with the Auburn plan. Experience isthe only sure teacher ; — great expectations have been formed ofthis system, but its results, as far as we have them, have not yetmet those expectations. Perhaps the system may yet be modi-fied, so as to accomplish its benevolent ends. Mr. LouisDwight, author of the eleven very valuable reports of the BostonPrison Discipline Society, and who has had more experienceon this whole subject than any other man, insists that this sys-tem does not possess the merits which have been customarilyascribed to it. He states, that all communication between theconvicts is not in fact cut off as is generally believed; that, com-pared with the Auburn plan, it is unhealthy already, and may beexpected to become more so continually ; that it tends to produceinsanity ; that the superintendent of this prison has resorted to(compelled to such a course we may presume) the utmost se-verities of discipline, mild measures not sufficing; that it is infe-rior in respect to the earnings of the convicts to the Auburnplan j that, there being no chapel, no Sunday School, and nomorning or evening prayers, the system does not admit of effec-tive moral and religious instruction, and, therefore, that it is infe-rior in its reforming power and tendency ; in proof of which, therecommitments are more numerous than on the Auburn plan.