The day I had completed the nine months of solitary1 confinement2 I entered upon a new stage, that of probation3 for nine months. I was taken from Hall G to Hall A. There were in Woking seven halls, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, separated by two barred doors and a narrow passage. Every hall has three wards4. The female warder who accompanied me locked me in my cell. I looked around with a sense of intense relief. The cell was as large again as the one I had left. The floor was of wood instead of slate6. It contained a camp bedstead on which was placed a so-called mattress7, consisting of a sack the length of the bed, stuffed with coir, the fiber8 of the[77] coconut9. There were also provided two coarse sheets, two blankets, and a red counterpane. In a corner were three iron shelves let in the wall one above the other. On the top shelf was folded a cape10, and on top of this there was a small, coarse straw bonnet11. The second shelf contained a tin cup, a tin plate, a wooden spoon, and a salt-cellar. The third shelf was given up to a slate, on which might be written complaints or requests to the governor; it is a punishable offense12 in prison to write with a pencil or on any paper not provided.
There was also a Bible, a prayer-book and hymn-book, and a book from the library. Near the door stood a log of wood upright, fastened to the floor, and this was the only seat in the cell. It was immovable, and so placed that the prisoner might always be in view of the warder. Near it, let into the wall, was a piece of deal board, which answered for a table. Through an almost opaque13 piece of square glass light glimmered14 from the hall, the only means of[78] lighting15 the cell at night; facing this, high up, was a barred window admitting light from the outside.
Evils of the Silent System
The routine of my daily life was the same as during “solitary confinement.” The cell door may be open, but its outer covering or gate is locked, and, although I knew there was a human creature separated from me only by a cell wall and another gate, not a whisper might I breathe. There is no rule of prison discipline so productive of trouble and disaster as the “silent system,” and the tyrannous and rigorous method with which it is enforced is the cause of two-thirds of all the misconduct and disturbance16 that occurs in prison. The silence rule gives supreme17 gratification to the tyrannous officer, for on the slightest pretext18 she can report a woman for talking—a turn of the head, a movement of the lips is enough of an excuse for[79] a report. And there is heavy punishment that can be inflicted19 for this offense, both in the male and female prisons. An offender20 may be consigned21 to solitary confinement, put for three days on bread and water, or suffer the loss of a week’s remission, which means a week added to her term of imprisonment22—and all this for incautiously uttering a word.
Unless it be specifically intended as a means of torture, the system of solitary confinement, even for four months, the term to which it has since been reduced, can meet only with condemnation23. I am convinced that, within limits, the right of speech and the interchange of thought, at least for two hours daily, even during probation, would insure better discipline than perpetual silence, which can be enforced only by a complete suppression of nature, and must result in consequent weakness of mind and ruin of temper. During the first months of her sentence a prisoner is more frequently in trouble for breach24 of this one[80] rule than from all other causes. The reduction of the term of probation from nine to four months has been followed by a reduction in mental afflictions, which is proof that nothing wholesome25 or good can have its growth in unnatural26 solitude27.
The silent system has a weakening effect upon the memory. A prisoner often finds difficulty in deciding upon the pronunciation of words which she has not heard for a considerable period. I often found myself, when desirous of using unusual words, especially in French or German, pronouncing them to myself in order to fix the pronunciation in my memory. It is well to bear in mind what a small number of words the prisoner has an opportunity of using in the monotony of prison life. The same inquiries29 are made day after day, and the same responses given. A vocabulary of one hundred words will include all that a prisoner habitually31 uses.
Insanity32 and Nervous Breakdown33 of Prisoners
No defender34 of the silent system pretends that it wholly succeeds in preventing speech among prisoners. But be that as it may, a period of four months’ solitary confinement in the case of a female, and six months’ in the case of a male, and especially of a girl or youth, is surely a crime against civilization and humanity. Such a punishment is inexpressible torture to both mind and body. I speak from experience. The torture of continually enforced silence is known to produce insanity or nervous breakdown more than any other feature connected with prison discipline. Since the passing of the Act of 1898, mitigating35 this form of punishment, much good has been accomplished36, as is proved by the diminution37 of insanity in prison life, the decreasing scale of prison punishment, and the lessening38 of the death-rate. By still further reducing this barbarous practise,[82] or, better, by abolishing it entirely39, corresponding happy results may confidently be expected. The more the prisoners are placed under conditions and amid surroundings calculated to develop a better life, the greater is the hope that the system will prove curative; but so long as prisoners are subjected to conditions which have a hardening effect at the very beginning of their prison life, there is little chance of ultimate reformation.
Need of Separate Confinement for the Weak-Minded
There are many women who hover40 about the borderland of insanity for months, possibly for years. They are recognized as weak-minded, and consequently they make capital out of their condition, and by the working of their distorted minds, and petty tempers, and unreasonable41 jealousy42, add immeasurably not only to the ghastliness of the “house of sorrow,” but are a sad clog43 on the efforts to self-betterment of their[83] level-minded sisters in misery44. Of these many try hard to make the best of what has to be gone through. Therefore, is it necessary, is it wise, is it right that such a state of things should be allowed? The weak-minded should be kept in a separate place, with their own officers to attend them. Neither the weak-minded, the epileptic, nor the consumptives were isolated45. There is great need of reform wherever this is the case. Prisoners whose behavior is different from the normal should be separated from the other prisoners, and made to serve out their sentences under specially28 adapted conditions.
I read in the newspapers that insanity is on the increase; this fact is clearly reflected within the prison walls. It is stated that the insane form about three per thousand of the general population. In local English prisons insanity, it is said, even after deducting46 those who come in insane, is seven times more prevalent than among the general population.
Reading an Insufficient47 Relaxation48
The nervous crises do not now supervene so frequently as formerly49 in the case of prisoners of a brooding disposition50, but the fact remains51 that, in spite of the slight amelioration, mental light is still excluded—that communion on which rests all human well-being52. The vacuity53 of the solitary system, to some at least, is partially54 lighted by books. But what of those who can not read, or who have not sufficient concentration of mind to profit by reading as a relaxation? There are many such, in spite of the high standard of free education that prevails at the present day. The shock of the trial, and the uprooting55 of a woman’s domestic ties, coupled with the additional mental strain of having to start her prison career in solitary confinement, is surely neither humane56, nor merciful, nor wise. These months of solitary confinement leave an ineffaceable mark. It is during the first lonely months that the seeds[85] of bitterness and hardness of heart are sown, and it requires more than a passive resistance—nay, nothing short of an unfaltering faith and trust in an overruling Providence—to bring a prisoner safely through the ordeal57. Let the sympathetic reader try to realize what it means never to feel the touch of anything soft or warm, never to see anything that is attractive—nothing but stone above, around, and beneath. The deadly chill creeps into one’s bones; the bitter days of winter and the still bitterer nights were torture, for Woking Prison was not heated. My hands and feet were covered with chilblains.
My Sufferings from Cold and Insomnia58
Oh, the horrors of insomnia! If one could only forget one’s sufferings in sleep! During all the fifteen years of my imprisonment, insomnia was (and, alas59! is still) my constant companion. Little wonder! I might fall asleep, when suddenly the[86] whole prison is awakened60 by shriek61 upon shriek, rending62 the stillness of the night. I am now, perforce, fully63 awake. Into my ears go tearing all the shrill64 execrations and blasphemies65, all the hideous66 uproars67 of an inferno68, compounded of bangs, shrieks69, and general demoniac ragings. The wild smashing of glass startles the halls. I lie in my darkened cell with palpitating heart. Like a savage70 beast, the woman of turmoil71 has torn her clothing and bedding into shreds72, and now she is destroying all she can lay hands on. The ward5 officers are rushing about in slippered73 feet, the bell rings summoning the warders, who are always needed when such outbursts occur, and the woman, probably in a strait-jacket, is borne to the penal74 cells. Then stillness returns to the ghastly place, and with quivering nerves I may sleep—if I can.
Medical Attendance
But what if one is ill in the night? The lonely prisoner in her cell may summon aid by ringing the bell. The moment it is set in motion it causes a black iron slab75 to project from the outer wall of her cell in the gallery. On the slab is the prisoner’s number, and the ward officer, hearing the bell, at once looks for the cell from which the call has been sent. Presently she finds it, then fetches the principal matron, and together they enter the hard, unhomelike place. If the prisoner is ill they call the doctor of the prison, and medicines and aid will be given. But sympathy is no part of their official duty, and be the warder never so tender in her own domestic circle, tenderness must not be shown toward a prisoner. The patient may be removed from her cell to the infirmary, where they will care for her medically, perhaps as well as they would in a hospital; she may even receive a few flowers from an infirmary[88] warder whose heart comes out from its official shell; but through it all, sick though she be, she is still a prisoner under lock and key, a woman under surveillance, a woman denied communion with her kind.
Added Sufferings of the Delicately Nurtured76
What words can adequately describe the long years, blank and weary enough for all prisoners, but which are indescribably so to one who has been delicately nurtured! I had enjoyed the refinements77 of social life; I had pitied, and tried, as far as lay in my power, to help the poor and afflicted78, but I had never known anything of the barbarism, the sordid79 vices80 of low life. And I was condemned81 to drag out existence amid such surroundings, because twelve ignorant men had taken upon themselves to decide a question which neither the incompetent82 judge nor the medical witnesses could themselves determine.
So far as I can learn, there is no other instance of a woman undoubtedly83 innocent and of gentle birth, confined for a term of nearly fifteen years in an English convict prison. In the nature of things a delicate woman feels more acutely than a robust84 prisoner the rigors85 of prolonged captivity86.
Neither confidence nor respect can be secured when punishment is excessive, for it then becomes an act of persecution87, suitable only for ages of darkness. The supineness of Parliament in not establishing a court of criminal appeal fastens a dark blot88 upon the judicature of England, and is inconsistent with the innate89 love of justice and fair play of its people.
How Criminals and Imbeciles are Made
The law in prison is the same for the rich as the poor, the “Star Class” as for the ignorant, brutalized criminal. My register was “L. P. 29.” These letters and[90] numbers were worked in white cotton upon a piece of black cloth. Your sentence is indicated thus: “L” stands for penal servitude for life; “P” for the year of conviction, which in my case was the sixteenth year since the previous lettering. This is done every twenty-five years. The “29” meant that I was the twenty-ninth convict of my year, 1889. In addition to this register I wore a red cloth star placed above it. The “Star Class,” of which I was a member, consisted of women who have been convicted of one crime only, committed in a moment of weakness or despair, or under pressure which they were not strong enough to resist at the time, such as infanticide, forgery90, incendiarism; and who, having been educated and respectably brought up, betray otherwise no criminal instincts or inclinations91; and who, when in the world, would be distinct in character from the habitual30 criminal, not only from a social point of view, but in their virtues92, faults, and crimes.
There should be separate rules and privileges to meet the case of a prisoner guilty of moral lapses93 only, as distinguished94 from the habitual breaker of the laws. At present the former gets the same treatment and discipline as the habitual criminal of several convictions, and can not claim a single privilege that the old offender has not a right to ask—for example, members of both classes are limited to the same number of letters and visits. The “Star Class” is supposed to be kept separate from ordinary prisoners. It was so at Woking Prison. But at Aylesbury Prison, to which I was transferred later, they were sandwiched between two wards of habitual criminals, with whom they came continually in contact, not only in passing to and from the workshops, fetching meals, and going to exercise, but continuously. That contamination should ensue is hardly surprising. It requires a will of iron, and nearly the spirit of a saint, not to be corrupted95 by the sights and sounds of a prison, even when no word[92] is spoken. It is a serious accusation96 against any system to say “that it produces the thing it is designed to prevent,” but such, I am convinced, is the fact as regards the manufacture of criminals and imbeciles by the present system of penalism almost the world over.
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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probation
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| n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期) | |
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wards
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| 区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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mattress
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| n.床垫，床褥 | |
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fiber
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| n.纤维，纤维质 | |
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coconut
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| n.椰子 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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offender
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| n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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defender
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| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
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mitigating
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| v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的现在分词 ) | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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diminution
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| n.减少；变小 | |
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lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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clog
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| vt.塞满，阻塞；n.[常pl.]木屐 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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deducting
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| v.扣除，减去( deduct的现在分词 ) | |
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47
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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48
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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49
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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51
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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52
well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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53
vacuity
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| n.(想象力等)贫乏，无聊，空白 | |
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54
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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55
uprooting
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| n.倒根，挖除伐根v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的现在分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园 | |
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56
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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57
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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58
insomnia
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| n.失眠，失眠症 | |
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59
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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60
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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rending
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| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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65
blasphemies
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| n.对上帝的亵渎，亵渎的言词[行为]( blasphemy的名词复数 )；侮慢的言词（或行为） | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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uproars
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| 吵闹，喧嚣，骚乱( uproar的名词复数 ) | |
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inferno
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| n.火海；地狱般的场所 | |
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69
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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71
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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72
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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73
slippered
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| 穿拖鞋的 | |
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74
penal
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| adj.刑罚的；刑法上的 | |
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75
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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nurtured
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| 养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长 | |
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77
refinements
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| n.（生活）风雅；精炼( refinement的名词复数 )；改良品；细微的改良；优雅或高贵的动作 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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80
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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81
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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82
incompetent
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| adj.无能力的，不能胜任的 | |
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83
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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84
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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85
rigors
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| 严格( rigor的名词复数 )； 严酷； 严密； （由惊吓或中毒等导致的身体）僵直 | |
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86
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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87
persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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88
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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90
forgery
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| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
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91
inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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92
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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95
corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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