Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/351

 SUPER VISION AND CONTROL OF PENAL INSTITUTIONS 337

information in regard to most countries of Europe and America, including Canada and Mexico. A supplementary volume will be issued later. For details which could not properly be given in a report like this you are referred to that volume. The facts there published may be briefly summarized for our present pur- pose as follows :

We find that in all the advanced states of Europe the cen- tralized control of correctional institutions is far advanced, but practically always without partisan interference with appoint- ments. Some branch of the national ministry is charged with the duty of carrying out the provisions of the penal law in insti- tutional treatment.

The administrative authority formulates and prints regulations which define the duties and responsibilities of all local officers, so that they can be held to exact accountability. These regula- tions also determine the legal mode of receiving prisoners, the system of disposing of the product of prison labor, the rules of conduct, disciplinary measures, the care of health, religious and educational provisions, and care of paroled or discharged pris- oners. These regulations are enforced by means of inspectors and commissioners, and by special orders.

In regard to local prisons, corresponding to our jails and workhouses, we observe a general tendency to bring these also under central control and regulation. So far as local prisons are used for detention of witnesses and of persons awaiting trial, the powers of the local courts are respected ; but the general regu- lations cover all. Even lockups are gradually coming under cen- tral control. 1

These statements must suffice for the present purpose ; they indicate the facts in their general form, so far as our argument is concerned.

"The following is a typical argument from Denmark in regard to state control of local prisons, by M. KARL Goos, secretary of director general of prisons in Denmark (Actes du congrts phi. int., 1900, Vol. IV, p. 402) : "En ce qui concerne les maisons d'arret, on pourrait encore de"sirer que rinfluence de rttat y fut plus directe que ce n'est le cas pour le moment, ou elles sont la proprie'te' des communes, et ou la direction ge'ne'rale des prisons est restrainte a un pur controle."