208 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



preciable effect on free labour eithei' in the prices of products or wages. 

 In the United States it is claimed that the total product of convict 

 labour as compared with the total product of free labour, is less than 

 I per cent. In I'eformatories and other institutions where leformation 

 is the principal end in view, such industries should be engaged in as 

 will best tend to make the prisoners self-supporting after their dis- 

 charge. In penitentiaries where life prisoners and incoi-rigibles are 

 imprisoned, that system of labour may be adopted which will tend to 

 make the prison self-sustaining — care being taken of course, to i-educe 

 the competition with free labour to a minimum. " Labour," says 

 Warden Massie, " in its several pursuits, stands next to Christianity, 

 first and indispensable ; without it reformation of chai'acter may be 

 said to be impossible." 



Master Workman Powderly says, very properly : 



" Do not keep criminals in idleness, but do not throw their labor 

 on the market for a less price than that paid to honest labor ; reform 

 the imprisoned as well as punish them ; give them work for the brain 

 to do as well as for the hands ; teach them how to be Christians while 

 teaching them how to work ; take what is given to the contractor of 

 their earnings and give it to tliemselves when they leave prison, or 

 allow their earnings to go to the support of their families, if they have 

 any, instead of throwing tliese families on the charities of the town, 

 while the prison, contractor reaps a reward from the crime that causes 

 him to wish that the ci'op of criminals may grow larger." 



The Indeterminate Sentence. — An indeterminate sentence is 

 one which has no maxim a in limit. The criminal is simply convicted 

 and sentenced for the crime of which he is charged. On indeter- 

 minate sentences prisoners can earn their dischai'ge by good conduct, 

 but if they are incorrigible thoy may be held for life. In the reform- 

 atory at Elmira, N. Y., the young men must earn their discharge by 

 mastering a trade and passing a thorough examination in certain 

 studies. The indeterminate sentence is in operation in some of tlie 

 work houses in the United States where tramps and habitual drunk- 

 ards are incarcerated. The Hon. Frederick Hill, Inspector-Genei-al of 

 Scotland was the first to recommend the indeterminate sentence. It 

 assumes that a person convicted of crime is morally diseased and 

 should be imprisoned as an insane patient is confined, and that he 

 .sliould not be discharged until cured. 



