DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62134#0046
38
AN ART-STUDENT IN MUNICH.
obedience or passion show itself among the prisoners after
the first few months, or the first year of their imprison-
ment. The constant employment from early morning to
evening; the silence imposed most strictly during their
hours of toil; the routine, the gradual dying out of all
external interests and anxieties, seemed to sink them into
a passive calm, until industry became their only charac-
teristic. Each prisoner has his daily task of work given to
him, which must be completed. For extra work he re-
ceives payment,—half of which he may immediately con-
sume, the other half being reserved for him, by govern-
ment, until the expiration of his sentence. This is equally
the case with such as are condemned to life-long imprison-
ment, there being always the possibility of a reprieve
existing for them. On Sundays, they are allowed to read
books out of the prison library, and to play at dominoes,
and enjoy various simple recreations. There is a school
for the younger criminals, and a hospital for the sick, of
course. The only punishment for disobedience to prison
rides is a longer or shorter period of solitary confinement
in a small room, which was shown to us, containing a hard
wooden bed, very like a low table, on which the prisoner
can both lie and sit, a stove, and a closely grated window,
which is darkened while the prisoner is in his cell: he has
his allowance of food shortened, and is left there to his
own reflections.
We saw a prisoner in his chains putting the loaves of
prison bread into a large oven to bake; prisoners in white
caps and aprons were preparing the prison supper in the
large clean kitchen: one group was sitting and silently
picking the leaves of vegetables to flavour the soup, which
was boiling in large caldrons, and was stirred by other
prisoners with huge ladles; all moved gravely about, ap-
parently without being overlooked. In each room, how-
ever, was a kind of prisoner monitor, whose office was to
AN ART-STUDENT IN MUNICH.
obedience or passion show itself among the prisoners after
the first few months, or the first year of their imprison-
ment. The constant employment from early morning to
evening; the silence imposed most strictly during their
hours of toil; the routine, the gradual dying out of all
external interests and anxieties, seemed to sink them into
a passive calm, until industry became their only charac-
teristic. Each prisoner has his daily task of work given to
him, which must be completed. For extra work he re-
ceives payment,—half of which he may immediately con-
sume, the other half being reserved for him, by govern-
ment, until the expiration of his sentence. This is equally
the case with such as are condemned to life-long imprison-
ment, there being always the possibility of a reprieve
existing for them. On Sundays, they are allowed to read
books out of the prison library, and to play at dominoes,
and enjoy various simple recreations. There is a school
for the younger criminals, and a hospital for the sick, of
course. The only punishment for disobedience to prison
rides is a longer or shorter period of solitary confinement
in a small room, which was shown to us, containing a hard
wooden bed, very like a low table, on which the prisoner
can both lie and sit, a stove, and a closely grated window,
which is darkened while the prisoner is in his cell: he has
his allowance of food shortened, and is left there to his
own reflections.
We saw a prisoner in his chains putting the loaves of
prison bread into a large oven to bake; prisoners in white
caps and aprons were preparing the prison supper in the
large clean kitchen: one group was sitting and silently
picking the leaves of vegetables to flavour the soup, which
was boiling in large caldrons, and was stirred by other
prisoners with huge ladles; all moved gravely about, ap-
parently without being overlooked. In each room, how-
ever, was a kind of prisoner monitor, whose office was to