PUBLIC INFLUENCE ON THE PENITENTIARY SYSTEM (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PENNSYLVANIA PRISON SOCIETY)

Abstract

The article examines the activities of the Pennsylvanian Prison Society, which is one of the oldest public organizations in the United States. It has been providing the penitentiary care for convicts during 230 years. The religious leaders and state officials in Pennsylvania were among the pioneers in that sphere. In 1776 the Society for the Assistance to the Suffering Prisoners of Philadelphia was founded. In 1787 its members together with the philanthropists and active citizens of the State founded the Philadelphia Society for the Relief of Suffering in the State Prisons. Since 1887 it was called the Pennsylvania Prison Society.

In the process of improving the living conditions in prisons, the members of the Society became convinced that there was the need to create a qualitatively new penal establishment for the convicts. The concept of correctional punishment was developed. Its purpose was to change the offenders' consciousness as a result of the religious influence and their repentance. The key components of the concept were the following: separate location of different categories of prisoners; holding of in- mates exclusively in the single cells, their employment and the impossibility of any contacts between the convicts; the solitude and communication with God through the silent prayer. The most complete ideas of the reformers were implemented into practice in the Eastern state penitentiary establishment. The approved regime of holding the inmates was called the Pennsylvanian or Philadelphia penitentiary system. It was the solitary confinement system, which was later followed by the European prison reformers.

After some failures of that system due to the high price of its implementation and overcrowded prisons, the members of the Society focused their activities on drafting the new legal acts, in particular the laws on parole and probation. They took part in inspecting the prisons, as well as providing assistance to the inmates and the released persons. At present Pennsylvania Prison Society have the following main spheres of its activities: inspection of prisons and supervision over the observance of the convicts’ rights; visiting and helping the convicts; providing them with the necessary support after their release. All that work is done by the volunteers (official visitors), who are the main component of the Society. The state authorities provided them with quite extensive powers at the legislative level. They make inspections of the prisons and communicate with any convicts, etc. The Society has its printed newsletter, Prison Journal and the newspaper Graterfriends.