23 AUGUST 1935, Page 3

Prison Reform or Reaction ?

Sir Evelyn Ruggles-Brise, whose death was announced last Tuesday, has probably done more than any other Man to state and promote the modern British view of prison treatment, which aims at the reform of the criminal. This, one had hoped, was not merely the British view, but the view of contemporary civilisation in all countries. But it is not. At the International Penal and Prison Congress at Berlin, the German delegates strongly supported the view of a Dutch judge, Dr. Muller, who advocates more, not less, severe sentences, and reduction rather than increase of the humanising and educative influences in prison life. Mr. Alexander Paterson's statement of the British view, that the State is not justified in abandoning hope of the reform of any criminal, was supported by the representatives of a Majority of countries ; but the German delegates, who appear to be mostly lawyers rather than experts in prison administration, will no doubt support Dr. Mailer's reac- tionary motion, and since, by an unfortunate arrange- ment, voting at the conference is by heads, the Germans, • with an enormous delegation, may quite well carry resolutions embodying their views. But the difference of 'opinion serves to show how deep is the dividing line between democratic and Fascist principles.