Christianity itself would never have triumphed over the Paganism of ancient Rome had the early Christians not been enabled to testify from the dungeon and the arena as to the sincerity and serenity of soul with which they could confront their persecutors,and from that time down to the successful struggles of our people for the right of public meeting at Whitchurch and elsewhere,the Christian religion and the liberties of men have never failed to demand their quota of martyrs for the faith.
When a man has been to prison in the best of causes he learns to look at the question of prison discipline with a much more sympathetic eye for those who are sent there,even for the worst offences,than judges and legislators who only look at the prison from the outside.
"A fellow-feeling makes one wondrous kind,"and it is an immense advantage to us in dealing with the criminal classes that many of our best Officers have themselves been in a prison cell.Our people,thank God,have never learnt to regard a prisoner as a mere convict--A 234.
He is ever a human being to them,who is to be cared for and looked after as a mother looks after her ailing child.At present there seems to be but little likelihood of any real reform in the interior of our prisons.We have therefore to wait until the men come outside,in order to see what,can be done.Our work begins when that of the prison authorities ceases.We have already had a good deal of experience in this work,both here and in Bombay,in Ceylon,in South Africa,in Australia and elsewhere,and as the nett result of our experience we proceed now to set forth the measures we intend to adopt,some of which are already in successful operation.
1.We propose the opening of Homes for this class as near as possible to the different gaols.One for men has just been taken at King's Cross,and will be occupied as soon as it can be got ready.