FIFTH INTERNATIONAL PRISON CONGRESS. 399 



was not conceded, it was agreed that it was for the interest of the 

 state to give him gratuities. As a matter of fact, the system of 

 allowing the prisoner a portion of his earnings obtains all over 

 the Continent. Half of the amount thus earned may be expended 

 by him, under supervision of a director, or may be applied to the 

 relief of his family. The other half is retained until the time of 

 his discharge. 



In Europe the cellular or separate system of imprisonment 

 prevails much more extensively than in this country. Indeed, 

 our only example of such a prison is that of the Eastern Peniten- 

 tiary of Philadelphia. The reformatory system as developed in 

 this country and illustrated by such institutions as those of El- 

 mira. Concord, and Pontiac was ably presented to the congress by 

 General R. Brinkerhoff, President of the National Prison Asso- 

 ciation of the United States, and by Mr. P. W. McClaughry, who, 

 having had experience as chief of police of Chicago and as the 

 head of several prison institutions, is one of the highest authori- 

 ties in this country on the treatment of criminals. 



Discussion on the treatment of the criminally insane brought 

 out different points of usage in different countries. A large 

 amount of information was gathered. Some questions were 

 formulated for the next congress, among them the following: 

 What rule should be adopted to insure the possibility of a per- 

 manent medical control over the mental state of prisoners ? How 

 should asylums or quarters for insane criminals be organized so 

 that the necessities for treatment may be combined with the idea 

 of repression ? In the case of irresponsible delinquents and those 

 who commit crimes under temporary aberration, the congress ex- 

 pressed the view that special asylums or quarters should be pro- 

 vided for them, that they should be committed by judicial au- 

 thority, and only released upon the concurrence of a threefold 

 authority namely, the authority of the court, that of the admin- 

 istration of the institution, and of its medical council. 



Under the head of "Preventive Means" were considered those 

 influences not only which would keep men out of prison, but 

 those which would tend to prevent them from becoming habitual 

 criminals. The whole treatment of the subject of discharged 

 convicts received serious consideration. It is somewhat sur- 

 prising that Europe is far better organized than the United 

 States for the care of the discharged convict. There are but four 

 or five really active societies of this kind in the United States. 

 There are ninety in England alone, and fifty in France. They 

 abound in Holland and Denmark, and are being developed in 

 Germany, Austria, Russia, and Italy. In Spain, work of this 

 kind scarcely exists ; in Switzerland, it is seen at its highest de- 

 gree of efficiency. In a country but half the size of the State of 



