The Prison Chaplaincy, And Its Experiences Part 5

Cultivating the intellect will prepare one intelligently to conduct himself in the affairs of life, and open to him sources of satisfaction far above those of his former life. Moral culture will arouse controlling ideas of the bounds of human rights, and the importance of observing them. The religious cultivation, having been made through deep conviction of sin, resulting in a hatred to wrong and a love for good, will lay a broad and deep foundation for a life of right.

Let these means be honestly and efficiently used, and they will most powerfully influence to ways of goodness. None of them can be spared.

Each is a link in the chain which will be mighty to elevate the fallen.

And if one can not be reformed by them, it is proof positive that he ought not to be at large.

What kind of prison officers are essential?

They should be of good moral character, ever setting proper examples before the prisoners, humanely disposed, capable of complete self-control, alive to efforts for reforming the inmates. Those more especially charged with the administration of affairs will need, in addition, to be good disciplinarians, studying the peculiarities of each and endeavoring to heal the weaknesses of mind.

The warden should possess great breadth of mind and force of character; be capable of bringing to his work large heart power; patient, yet decided; abounding with humane instincts, yet capable of using sterner means when essential; ever keeping wisdom at the helm, using true discretion, and be controlled by a strong desire for the highest good of all. He will be intent on studying how to address reform means to each with a view to the greatest success. At the same time he should look well to the true pecuniary interests of the inst.i.tution.

The chaplain should be truly a man of G.o.d, enabled to bring large mental, moral and religious force to his duties, and alive, heart and soul, to the great work of raising up those under his care and presenting them to the world redeemed and saved.

31. _The commutation system._ This is a system established by legislative enactment a few years since; on condition of good behavior and a faithful performance of duty in one, to grant him a specified shortening in his term of sentence, and complete restoration to citizenship.

It was really interesting to witness the effect of this provision on the convicts, stimulating as it did their hope, and leading them to do the best they could to obtain this much coveted boon. The case of one will ill.u.s.trate this feeling. He had been in the solitary, but did not seem to mind his sufferings there in the least. His great anxiety was whether he should lose his commutation. He suffered no little in mind in this respect. Indeed, every day gave us a clear exhibition of the influence this system had over the inmates' minds for good, helping the officers greatly in keeping order in their efforts at reform.

Now, if hope could be thus stimulated, and that to such great advantage, by this simple provision, what might not be accomplished by following more largely the same line of policy, that is, the hope-stimulating line?

32. _Chaplain's proposed attempt at tobacco reform._

The chaplain made this proposition to the governor and council: "Put the prisoners on their option as to tobacco using with the condition that any who will disuse it, receive, once a month, or quarter, as the case may be, the amount thus saved in money, to be kept funded in the bank for him to receive, on certain conditions as to time, &c., after his release."

This proposition was made with at least four prominent objects in view.

The first was to convert as many as could be from tobacco using; the second, to give an additional stimulus to hope among the prisoners; the third, to create an interest in the men in looking after money matters, a care for small items; and, fourth, to help them form the habit of saving and laying up.

This privilege was, of course, to be granted on condition of good behavior, and therefore as effective as could be toward prison order.

The proposer conceived that here was an element of great power for good to the prison and State. This forming a habit, in the former careless one, of looking particularly into the smallest items of money, with carefully saving and laying up, might work an entire revolution in more than one, leading them to habits of honest industry and thrift, an immense gain to the individual and the community.

But the rulers did not see fit to heed the proposal. If they had, no doubt quite a large number of the prisoners would have adopted the plan.

THE PRISON CHAPLAINCY

PART II.

Under the Punitive and Money-making System.

1. _Warden chosen, and new arrangements for the chaplain._ Some weeks of the new year had pa.s.sed, when the warden's place was filled by the choice of J. C. Pillsbury, of Concord. Report said that the delay had been by reason of a division of sentiment on the case in the council chamber.

I directly waited on the new inc.u.mbent, at his office, to arrange for my duties. He seemed to feel that he had been put there for correcting important abuses that had grown up in the prison management, in what particular department I did not learn. But he laid out my work as follows:

"Chaplain, we will have the meetings held in the chapel as heretofore; that is, the males a.s.semble Sabbath mornings at nine and enjoy the same exercises as usual, none else to be admitted except at my special invitation; Sabbath school continue Sabbath afternoons, and I will select such teachers as I think best. Wednesday evening prayer meetings to continue, I inviting in some of the religious men of the city to help carry them on, and not a prisoner be allowed to open his head in them.

These fellows are here to be punished. They must not be called men, but criminals, for such they are."

Such in substance was my programme, on which this colloquy followed between myself and warden:

"Warden, you did not speak of admitting the female prisoners to the Sabbath worship in the chapel."

"No, I don't purpose to admit any females to that service."[1]

[Footnote 1: I understood his objection to be, that the sight of a woman is demoralizing to a prisoner.]

"But we can have a screen so arranged, that the women can not be seen by the men, though a.s.sembled as formerly, and I will be at the labor and expense of fitting it."

"No, I won't have a woman in the chapel."

"But do not the rules require the warden to a.s.semble the females as well as males in the chapel Sabbath mornings for worship?"

"Oh, I call the women's work-room their chapel."

"But, if I am to hold a service with the women in their work-room after the chapel service, it will double my labors, and then not be as interesting and useful to them as if hearing the discourse with the speaker fresh and unfatigued."

"I don't ask you to hold a second service with the women, for giving them a sermon. Only go into their room any time in the week, some evening if more convenient, and offer prayer, and that will be all sufficient."

"How about commencing the school in the chapel?"

"Oh, I can't have anything to do with that, we are so tired, when night comes, with our other duties."

Thus matters were before me. What a cutting off! The question would be, "Is this cutting off a part of the proposed correction of prison abuses?" No secular school, no religious instruction of note to the female prisoners, and the screws put upon our prayer meeting so tightly as to render them of but little account to the prisoners.

As to the latter, I felt that, could the prisoners enjoy the privilege of taking part in them as previously, having only the warden, guards and myself present, it would be preferable to the new plan. This I proposed, to which the warden finally a.s.sented, and that from the fact, as I supposed, that it would rid him of so much outside attendance. This then was gained, though the other points remained immovably fixed.

I understood the warden to remark, "It is of no use for the chaplain to preach and labor with a hope of reforming these prisoners, for they can't be reformed." Then this expression, as of his saying, was told me,--"I will break up that Methodist camp meeting at the prison." What did the a.s.sertion mean? Was it a slur on our previous religious efforts?

Or was it indicative of a shortening of our religious privileges? We had, at no time, any rush at our meetings, but few being admitted for want of room. A small number had attended and helped in our prayer meetings, more in the Sabbath school. All denominations were alike interested in the matter. Indeed, we had no denomination about it.

I brought the matter of the school and that of the females a.s.sembling in the chapel for worship to the notice of the governor, but the warden prevailed.

2. _Chaplain almost resolved to resign, but decides to continue and arrange his work._ Thus things put on so forbidding an aspect in every way, that it did not seem that I could accomplish any further good at the prison. True, I could draw my salary with almost nothing to do, the name go out that the inst.i.tution had a chaplain, but being expected to drift on with the current, whichever way it might set, and at the end make up a glowing report of the prison doings and success, no matter what the facts might be. But my feelings rebelled at such an idea, and I thought, for a time, that I must resign, and almost resolved upon the step. Then the question would arise, Is it right to leave those who have appeared so earnest to improve and reform? Something said, "No."

Friends, too, learning my feelings on the subject, said decidedly that I must remain at the post.

I was in a hard place. There were the sentiments as uttered above, then the general spirit manifested, speaking louder than words, that "reform moves are all interlopers in prison, having no sort of business here."

After looking the ground carefully over in my mind and thinking of all the connections, I saw that, by a greatly increased amount of labor, I could furnish the prisoners with a partial subst.i.tute for the chapel school. I had a right to visit them in the privacy of their cells, from morn till the hour for retiring in the evening. I could therefore hear their recitations there separately. No one could justly complain of this. Hence, I decided to remain, and laid out my work thus:--Sabbath, usual service with the men from nine to ten, and services in the women's work-room till eleven; then in the hospital with Jones, the murderer, and others as their cases allow, till twelve; Sabbath school services in the afternoon, besides visiting cells as much as possible; on other days, to spend noon and evenings visiting the cells in turn, hearing recitations and imparting instruction in the common school branches; besides changing the books Sat.u.r.days, as already, to change them at any other time when called for.

Thus I voluntarily undertook three times as much real hard work for the prisoners as my duty had previously demanded. The new order seemed to render it imperative, for I could do nothing in the educational line without it.