Author : Ontario Prison Reform Commission
Publisher : Forgotten Books
Page : 803 pages
File Size : 18,37 MB
Release : 2015-06-25
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781330380093
Excerpt from Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Enquire Into the Prison and Reformatory System of Ontario, 1891 The powers necessary for the proper discharge of the duties thus imposed upon the Commissioners were given by the same instrument, and they were required - "Forthwith after the conclusion of such enquiry to make full report to the Lieutenant-Governor touching the matters concerning which the said enquiry is to be made together with a report of all or any of the evidence taken by the Commissioners respecting the same." The Commissioners having met to take into consideration the best means of discharging satisfactorily the important duties imposed upon them, the Chairman stated that, having regard to the fact that the conduct of the enquiry not only involved the expenditure of money in the visitation of institutions, but necessitated the preparation of statistics by certain officials, he had submitted to the Honourable the Attorney -General an outline of the system on which the Commissioners proposed to proceed. The expenditures for the purpose as well as the system proposed received the approval of the Attorney-General. This authority having been obtained and such statistical information as was immediately necessary, notice was given through the press that the Commission would hold sessions in the cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston, Ottawa and London and all persons interested in the matters into which inquiry was to be made were invited to attend at the time and places named and state their views. Sheriffs, gaolers and other officials were notified to be present at the sessions held in their districts and give evidence. It was arranged that having visited Ottawa the Commissioners should proceed to the State of Massachusetts and afterwards to the State of New York to observe the working of the penal and reformatory systems which obtain in those States, and to gather all the information which they deemed useful for the purposes of their enquiry; and that having visited London they should proceed to the States of Michigan and Ohio, and visit the best and most successful of the penal and reformatory institutions of those States, and ascertain as far as possible the special merits of their respective systems. It was further arranged that they should obtain the evidence of a number of eminent specialists who have devoted much of their lives to the study of prison management as a science. It was decided that copies of the reports of the best known institutions in the United States should be procured; also such information respecting the management of the principal penal establishments in Great Britain and Ireland, and in other European countries as could be obtained, and copies of the "transactions" or reports of proceedings of the several congresses held in Europe and in the United States of late years to consider the subject of prison reform. It was considered that when the Commissioners had thus by personal observation and from the evidence of witnesses of experience ascertained the general working and results of the Prison and Reformatory system of Ontario, and had obtained such information respecting the most advanced systems of the United States and those which obtain in Great. Britain and Ireland and other countries of Europe as would enable them to institute a proper comparison of all those systems and their results, they would be in a position to consider intelligently the subjects upon which they were required to report. In order that the evidence might be taken in a systematic way, it was decided that the Chairman should prepare a series of questions to be put to such witnesses as might appear before the Commission. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com