A MODEL FRENCH PRISON.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2793, 7 June 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

A MODEL FRENCH PRISON.

(from oph own correspondent). Paris, March 6. Ci,AiKVAnx is the chief, of the 2o central prisoin in France. It is the healthiest, bobt orgauised, and beet guarded. It occupies as is well-known, not tho site, but the sites, of several abbeys, belonging to the order of Benedictine monks. Of the first abbey founded by St. Bernard, when 25 years of age, only the wine cellar remains, and which forms tho present refectory for the female prisoners. Cliiirvaux is on the lino of railway from Paris to Mulhouso, 135 miles. Prisoner Duo d'Orlearm made the journey a few days ago in seven hours. It took St. Bernard two days and ono night, in the twelfth century, to accomplish the same distance. Within the vast penitentiary arc lodged 1,400 male and 450 female prisoners, sentenced for all crimes and for varying periods, from one year's imprisonment and upwards. No juvenile offenders are here incarcerated, nor convict mothers with their children of tender age. There are four classes of detenus. Those for above one year ; those from five to ten years, deprived of all their civil rights and condemned to hard labour; those above 60 years of age ; and, lastly, women transported for life. Like the Bonedictines, the prison inmates have to observe a rigourous silenoe. They are not allowed tobacco, nor wine, nor any fermented drink ; no fires are provided to warm the building; oxcept on Sunday the diet is vegetarian, and like the ancient monks also, the costume is grey, only of a different shape. The prison is guarded by three companies of infantry of 100 men each ; every week one of the companies j is changed. There are ten vast pavilions, ' separated by extenvive gardens. Each wing corresponds to a class of punish-

ment, and a work-shop. The resident official staff consists of 1 director, salary 6,000 francs ; 2 inspectors, 4000 francs ; chaplains for Catholic*, Protestant*, and Jews ; 2 teachers; 43 gaolers, 800 to 1,700 francs salary; 1G nuns ; -an architect, a doctor, master weavers, gardeners, millers, &c, besides many minor employe's ; to assist the latter is a reward held out to well-conducted convicts. All told, Clairvaux penitentiary represents a population of 3,000 souls. The establish, ment is self-supporting; it supplies not only its own wants, but the output of its 22 industries represents sales to the value of 563,000 francs annually. Weaving, spinning, carding wool and silk, tailoring, shoemaking, brush ware, smith-work, &c, are the principal trades. The making of blue and bliiok velvets is a speciality. Many bands are employed in gardening and agricultural work. The home minister regulates the tariff of trade sales, after oonsultinsr with tho Chamber of Commerce. Prices are never below those of private industry ; hence, no competition ; an allowance of one-fifth is accorded to contractor's purchases, as a compensation for imperfect work or damaged materials. The prisoners receive two meals daily; the first, white bread and soup ; the second, mixed flour, bread and vegetables. Oα Sundays five ounces of meat. The average cost of a prisoner is 19 sous, per day to the state. Against this is the write off of the prisoners earnings, about one-half being retained by the Government; the rencaindor belongs to the iUU-hh ; threefifths of it is placed to his credit and paid over to him on the expiration of his sentence ; tho remaining fifths the prisoner, if conduct be good, is allowed to draw, to purchase creature comforts iu the prison canteen—save tobacco and drink. Smiths oau earn 32 sous, daily in making domestic articles in iron work ; this is the highest wage gained ; the lowest is for picking tow, five sous; brush makers earn 22 sous, and basket and stay-makers 20. The average wage for the whole 22 trade.", per working day, is 18 sous. Tho average expenditure at the canteen per prisoner per day, is less than three sous, and no prisoner must expend more than eight. The articles purchased are chiefly bread, milk, coffee, chocholate and meat. Tho women can purchase certain articles of underclothiug. Oα an average, a male prisoner sends annually seven fraucs of his savings to help his family : a women 12 francs—.she must pinch herself moro. Evasions are next to unknown : the grounds are surrounded by walls 60 feet high, and an evader runs the risk of being instantly shot down by the setinel. The average infraction of tbe prison rules, is about one delinquent per day ; the misconduct and punishment are read out in the presence of the assembled prisoners. The punishment is, diet on dry bread or the cell. While the men do not violato the rule of enforced silence to one per ceut, in the case of women, the violation is as high as GO per cent. Of 100 prisoners who entered the prison totally illiterate, 30" per cent, left in the same condition, while 19 per cent, were taught to read; 22 to read and write; and 19 per ceut. knew the three R's. The average number of admissions daily to the infirmary is 2 ; the average number of days in the hospital, i. Of 100 admissions 7 simulated sickness; tho chief maladies are indigestion and bronchitis. Of the deaths 50 per cent, are from lung and larynx diseases. The death rate is 2'72 per cent. When a detenu dies, the chaplain to whose creed the deceased belonged must perform the full funeral serrice ; one of the inspectors is bound to be present, and to accompany the remains, with a selected number of prisoners, to tho gravo. No suicides ever occur at Clairvaux. The average number of prisoners pardoned yearly is 43, and 115 have their sentences reduced, on the recommendation of tho prison authorities or supplications from their families. The life of the Benedictines of Clairvaux did not differ from that of other " Monks of

nou umer irom mac or oiner iVIOUKS Or the_ West." They were art.izans aud agriculturists; they hud to pray hard and to work hard. In ita day Clairvaux had as many as 900 monks, represents- j tires of royal, os well as of plebiun ramilie.". In 178!) the number of monks was only 27, and the revenue of the monastery was aoi.OOOfr. Of the four anniversaries kept at Clairvaux, one wan in honour of Richard Couur de Lion. England was also remombered in the person of Lei king Henry 11, who, for having given the necessary funds to cover the uave of one of the churches with lead, was presented with a fiujrer of Saint Bernard as a relic. Until the political atmosphere becomes calmer, the Due d'Orleans need not count upon a free pardon. In the meantime his dynastic friends would do well to observe silence, aud his fiancee aud her mother to continue to visit him daily, as they are to reside close to the prison, and so win involuntary public sympathy.