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THE PRISON SYSTEM.
235
The great decrease in the number of prisoners depends, no doubt, to
a certain extent, on a decrease of criminal acts, witnessed by the figures quoted
(page 151). To a great extent, however, it depends on a more humane
legislation. It is now especially customary to pardon prisoners sentenced for life
if they have shown good behaviour for a long time. In 1855 there were in
the penitentiaries of Sweden 1,520 prisoners for life to only 140 in 1900.
The average number of new prisoners, sentenced to penal servitude, received
each year in 1896/1900 was 1,852, of which number 220 were women. About
32-2 per cent of them, or 604 of the whole number, had previously
undergone sentences to penal servitude. The yearly number sentenced to irredeemable
imprisonment during the same period was 1,098, and the number sentenced to
prison in default of payment of fines was 16,074. Of the last-mentioned two
groups there were respectively 69 and 1,008 women.
Finally, in this connection may be stated the number of executions in earlier
and later times. Of each million inhabitants 14-91 executions were made yearly
during the period 1749/73, but already 1774/95 the average number had decreased
to 4-06. The corresponding figure for the years 1891/1900 is only O’os, as during
these ten years only four persons have been executed.
All penitentiaries and penal workhouses are governed by the Royal
Hoard of Prisons. This Board consists of one General Director and
two Bureau chiefs, of which the one represents matters of
administration, the other those of finance. The different penitentiaries are
managed by governors (some smaller jails by chief warders). At each
penitentiary there are also a preacher and a medical officer. At the central
prisons are besides appointed a storekeeper, an accountant, and deputy
governors. The warders are chosen with scrupulous discrimination, and,
by raising their pay from time to time, it has been made possible to
raise the standard of education and moral fitness. A warder receives
now, when he has been ten years in the service, 1,050 kronor besides rooms
and fuel. (A Swedish krona corresponds to l-io shilling or 0 a68 dollar).
With regard to the treatment of prisoners, it has already been
stated that it is based on the cell system. Only the relatively few
prisoners sentenced to penal servitude for a term exceeding four years
and those sentenced for life, work, after three years of cellular
confinement, together in large workshops, but are kept apart while not
working, and spend the nights in sleeping cells. The compulsory
workhouses, where the prisoners are always together at work, have all
night-cells, and it has been proposed that a system of separation should
also here, at least among the younger prisoners, be inaugurated with
the hope of better educational results.
In the application of the cell system the aim has always been
as far as possible to prevent results of isolation injurious the
prisoners, and to make the penalty undergone by the prisoners serve
for their own reformation. Various means are employed for this
purpose, such as systematic and regular work; daily exercise in the
air (in special airing yards for at least half an hour; directions
(pasted in each cell) for rational physical exercise; well chosen libraries
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