Remarks On Prisons And Prison Discipline In The United States

by Dorothea Lynde Dix

Remarks On Prisons And Prison Discipline In The United States by Dorothea Lynde DIX. This work surveys American prisons and penitentiaries, drawing on four years of study and extensive visits to facilities in the Northern and Middle States, with occasional notes on others. DIX analyzes the two dominant reform systems—the Auburn (silent or congregated labor) and the Pennsylvania (separate) systems—critiquing abuses, praising humane administration, and urging reforms in officer selection, discipline, and moral instruction. The text documents conditions of discipline, punishment (including lashes and alternatives like the shower-bath), diet and health, ventilation and water supply, and the role of physicians and chaplains. It discusses the treatment of enlarged convicts, the management of pardons, and the need for better support for released prisoners, libraries, and education. DIX also highlights juvenile reform efforts, such as Houses of Refuge, and calls for broader prevention through early moral and educational training. The work explores national and international responses to prison reform and argues for the consistent application of humane, Christian-based principles in penal institutions.

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2009

Reviews

[emily gielshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Radical for its time but in being wowed reading this I also learned Dorothea Dix was pretty antifeminist and anti abolitionist. Grateful for her work in humanizing the mentally ill and incarcerated AND always shocked by the duality of humans in all eras

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dry and not quite as compelling as some of Dorathea Dix’s shorter works, but still very interesting nonetheless! Less of a commentary and more straight reporting of her observations, but also with some very personal anecdotes from all her time in the prisons. Wild to see how much things have changed since the mid 1800s.