BORSTAL—ENGLAND. (Extracts from letter of Daniel Buckley.)

Paris, February 24th, 1912.

... I have visited several prisons in England, amongst others, Pentonville, of which Secretary Votaw has already written (in 1909) and Borstal, which I shall make the subject of this letter.

... Borstal itself is in the country, in the county of Kent, about three miles from, and between, the towns of Chatham and Rochester, the former being reached by a forty-minute ride in a fast train from London. It stands high on the hills overlooking a beautiful valley, the shipping of Chatham and the Rochester Cathedral. However, Borstal means much more than a local institution, for it has given its name to a system of treatment during and after confinement which has been so extraordinarily successful that a modification of it is being practiced in nearly all British prisons for both sexes. Unfortunately, I chose a Saturday for my visit and as a sort of half-holiday is practiced there my view of the different departments in operation was necessarily hurried, and I cannot do better than give you, as much in his own words as possible, the description given me by Thomas Holmes a day or two before I made my visit.

In this place, since 1903, the Prison Commissioners have conducted experiments with regard to young male prisoners from which they have evolved the system to which the old prison has given its name.

“In reality, it is an attempt by the State, to rescue young persons from a life of crime and fit them for an honest industrial life. It is unnecessary to point out the value of such work nor to say that it is a new departure from the ordinary aims of penal administration.

“Of course there were many difficulties in the way and the Prison Commissioners found themselves hampered by lack of funds; the State being chary in giving requisite support. But in 1908 the system, having proved abundantly successful, became part and parcel of the penal system of the country and in 1909 prisons dealing only with the young offenders between the ages of 16 and 21 became Borstal institutions.

“Now a word in explanation of the method of selecting the inmates and their treatment. In 1908 the prevention of Crimes Act was passed, several clauses of which dealt with the reformation of young offenders. That they may be perfectly understood, they are given in full:

“Where a person is convicted on indictment for an offense for which he is liable to be sent to penal servitude or imprisonment and it appears to the Court, first, that the person is not less than 16 nor more than 21 years of age, and second, that by reason of his criminal tendencies or habits, or association with persons of bad character, it is expedient that he should be subject to detention for such a term and under such instruction and discipline as appears most conducive to his reformation and the repression of crime, it should be lawful for the Court, in lieu of passing a sentence of penal servitude, or imprisonment, to pass a sentence of detention under penal discipline in the Borstal institution for a term not less than one year and not more than three years; and for the purpose of this act the Secretary of State may establish Borstal Institutions, that is to say, places where young offenders may be given, while under detention, industrial training and instruction.

“This Act also gives power to the Prison Commissioners to discharge on license, such offenders as they think fitted for conditional liberty, but no license can be granted until the offender has served at least six months of his sentence and every offender whether he is released on license or has served his complete sentence, remains after his discharge under the supervision of the Prison Commissioners for several months.

“Another part of this Act provides that young offenders sentenced to the Borstal treatment must be of good physical and mental health and further provides that young men, up to the age of 23 may now be admitted to Borstal institutions.”

Having explained the Genesis of the Borstal institution and given you an idea of the class of young men who are admitted to them, it will be well to give some details of the daily life therein. The Borstalian, on his arrival is bathed and given his uniform and the Warden who receives him reads him the rules and gives him any necessary information. Next morning he sees the Chaplain and is examined by the Doctor and finally brought before the Governor. All his antecedents and capabilities are inquired into; his education, knowledge, trades, his tastes, etc., are carefully tabulated and everything, little though it be, is taken note of for the purposes of guiding the Authorities in directing the young man’s future. Thus, if he has any knowledge of a trade and wishes to continue it he is put straight at it; if he has none, but appears a likely youth for a certain job, he is put to that job at once.

“Should he be an ignorant and hopeless kind of youth for whom training and discipline, smartness, etc. is necessary, he is put among those who do the housecleaning, etc., where he must work neatly, and be quick. Every Borstalian gets physical drill every morning for one-half hour and one hour’s gymnasium three times a week when no fooling is allowed, for whether it be physical drill or gymnastics, work or play, he must do his share, perform all the exercises, every one of which has been carefully planned for developing his physical and mental smartness.

“Education is not forgotten, for no sooner does he join the institution than he begins to receive five hours tuition each week; nor is he released from this until he can pass examinations which prove him able to read with comparative ease, write intelligibly and do simple figuring. Even then further education awaits him, for special classes are formed on various subjects and lectures on all topics are given in a large hall where he goes when his behaviour and progress have been satisfactory. As magic lanterns are frequently used to illustrate these lectures, you can readily believe that these prove a great attraction.

“But the life at Borstal is not all work and no play for the Prison Commissioners have recognized that if a youth must work well it is essential that he play well, so recreation has not been forgotten. After five months a youth of behaviour and industry can obtain entrance to a special class and on three evenings in the week may meet with others, to play, to read and on Saturday afternoons may take part in football or cricket as the season serves.

“It will be seen that work, education and play all have a part in the life at Borstal but religion is not forgotten and I know of no religious service more impressive than some of those I have taken part in at this institution.

“Here is the programme of the daily life at the institution. At 5:30 the prisoner arises and begins the day with a biscuit and milk after which he cleans and tidies up his cell. At 7 o’clock he breakfasts on bread, porridge, margarine and with tea and coffee, if he is in the special grade. At 7:30 he is in the workshop or in the open; and carpentering, blacksmithing, bootmaking, building, gardening, cooking, cleaning, or laundry work, occupy him until noon, when dinner, consisting of bread, meat, potatoes and pudding await him. After an hour and ten minutes for dinner and rest he resumes work which continues until 5:30 when work ceases and there is a general parade reviewed by the Governor after which he gets his last food for the day, generally consisting of bread and cheese and a mug of cocoa.

“At 6:15 there is a general meeting in the Chapel when short addresses are given by the Chaplain and others and encouraging letters from discharged boys who are doing well are read. Then they go to the evening classes after which there is recreation for a few moments until 8:30 when they go to their cells and shortly after lights are out.”

Surely this is a sensible day’s programme, a sensible system and well applied. There are some faults in the plant but as the system grew from a very small beginning and the buildings were added from time to time this criticism is harsh. However, different planning would greatly facilitate the training and decrease the cost of maintenance. There are some in the system which are in process of being remedied. For instance, it is proposed to lengthen the period of licensed freedom to at least one year so that each boy can prove himself without need of care during the four seasons.

The care given these discharged Borstalians, either on license or having served their full time, is most admirable. They are in charge of the Borstal Association whose agents, aided by those of over 60 County Societies for the aid of discharged prisoners, have an eye, a very watchful eye, upon them and who report frequently to the Association, and a glance at their records, absolutely the most complete, concise and convenient imaginable, one can be familiar with the whole history of any individual. These records show, among multitudinous other things, that aid is frequently required to establish a boy as a self-supporting, self-respecting member of decent society. It is seldom more than assistance in procuring work, or a heart-to-heart “big brother” talk.

I wish every member of our committee could see these records. Besides their primary function of recording they furnish a wonderfully interesting human document, and a first-class text-book on crime causes, the chances for reformation of different characters, etc., etc., all based on the observation of the individual, not when under restraint, but when, comparatively speaking, a free agent.

Such records would have an incalculable value to us, if carefully kept by the Authorities or Prison Associations of the different States. In many places we are applying new systems, or old systems to new conditions. New problems are almost bound to arise, as the hordes of immigrants, reaching our shores daily, have their effect on the national type, and without exact data as to the cause of the failure of any system little can be done to better it, and a better weapon to induce legislation, not to speak of individual and corporate assistance in our work, would be hard to imagine.

What is called the full Borstal system has not been practiced long enough for some to consider it a proven success, but the figures here given, those for prisoners released in 1909, give cause for bright hopes at least.

174 are at present conducting themselves satisfactorily, that is, 82 per cent.

2 are on hand, that is, as yet without permanent work.

2 are dead.

18 are unsatisfactory, irregular at work through their own fault.

1 is lost sight of, but there is no reason to think for evil.

15 have been re-convicted, all but one of which have refused two or more chances to work at fair wages.

If 82 per cent. of our offenders were reformed our prisons would be certainly a good investment, but it is only fair to remember that not all convicted youths between 16 and 23, and no adults of any sort, are brought under this treatment. Delicate or defective physique of any sort makes it impossible. How to make a cripple or a boy with a weak heart into a self-supporting man within the limits of the short sentence such unfortunates usually receive, is very hard to see. It is too short a time to learn a trade and even the English authorities are ridiculously hampered by laws preventing convict labor excepting upon articles for State use, so that what is learned at prison is of little value out of it....

Daniel Buckley.