solitude, which afforded larger opportunities for
serious reflection and, if so disposed, repentance and prayer by the
criminal.

4th. The prevention of total loss of character on the part of the
prisoner, seeing that the _privacy_ of the confinement would operate
against the recognition of him by fellow-prisoners upon regaining their
liberty.

Against it the following reasons could be urged--

1st. The extreme liability to ill-treatment or indulgence, according to
the mood and disposition of the officers in charge.

2d. The extreme difficulty of obtaining a sufficiently large number of
honest, high-principled, just men and women, to carry out the solitary
system with impartiality, firmness, and, at the same time, kindness.
This reason was strongly corroborated by the governors of Cold Bath
Fields Prison, and the great Central Prison at Beaulieu. Their own large
experience had taught them the difficulty of securing officers in all
respects _fit to be trusted_ with the administration of such a system.

3d. The very frequent result of the administration of this system by
incompetent or unfit officers would be the moral contamination of the
prisoners.

4th. The enormous expense of providing officers and accommodation
sufficient to include all the criminals of the country.

5th. The certainty of injury to body and mind from the continuance of
solitude for life. The digestive and vocal organs, and the reason would
inevitable suffer. In proof she quoted the notorious imbecility of the
aged monks of La Trappe: "We are credibly informed of the fact (in
addition to what we have known at home) that amongst the monks of La
Trappe few attain the age of sixty years without having suffered an
absolute decay of their mental powers, and fallen into premature
childishness."

6th. The danger lest increased solitude instead of promoting
repentance, should furnish favorable hours for the premeditation of new
crimes, and so confirm the criminal in hardened sin.

7th. The impossibility of fitting the prisoners for returning to society
under the system; whereas by teaching them useful employments and
trades, and training them to work in company for remuneration, habits
and customs may be induced which should aid in a life-long reformation.

Two or three years after the enunciation of these principles and
reasons, Mrs. Fry addressed a valuable communication to Colonel Jebb in
reference to the new Model Prison at Pentonville, then (