Reformatory Prison Discipline Author:Mary Carpenter Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. TICKETS-OF-LEAVE AND SUPERVISION. The system of liberating convicts on a conditional discharge was first introduced in the Penal Settle- inent... more »s of the British Colonies, where men who had been transported were, after a time, set at liberty under certain conditions. But a large number of men remained in confinement in England who had received sentences of transportation, about 9,000 at the end of 1852, when transportation was discontinued ; the sentences were always long, as it was intended that they should be abridged nearly one- half by good conduct under confinement. The system of conditional freedom was therefore extended to them also. It appeared to possess great advantages, and to be founded on a true principle. Since it is quite impossible that the reformation of any one can be relied on as real, as long as he is in an unnatural condition and under coercion, which ho must be while in prison, to give a convict his freedom, under condition that it shall be forfeited at once if he proves by his conduct that he is not reformed, is evidently a most satisfactory way ofascertaining the safety to the public of his return to society. Besides, the slight controul and surveillance which are implied in the license itself, and essential to the development of the system, are an excellent preparation to one whose voluntary action has been cramped for many years, to enable him to use his liberty without abusing it. The following conditions are indorsed on the license of every convict so liberated in the United Kingdom:— " NOTICE. "1. The power of revoking or altering the License of a Convict will most certainly he exercised in case of his misconduct. "2. If, therefore, he wishes to retain the privilege, which hy his good behaviour under Penal Discipline he h...« less