Open Collections

[between 1916 and 1919?]

1 bookplate : relief printing ; 10.6 x 13.3 cm

National Prison Reform Association

Still Image

Prison Reform Associations typically attempt to address issues related to the rights and well-being of prisoners. Historically, prison libraries have been part of attempts to influence and/or reform prisoners. Prison libraries also function as a service to prisoners, providing them with the library materials that they request or require. In North America there have been two organizations by the name of the 'National Prison Reform Association.' The American National Prison Reform Association was founded by Rev. Dr E.C. Wines of the Prison Association of New York in 1870 as the National Prison Congress. It later became the American Correctional Association. The Canadian National Prison Reform Association was founded in 1916 in Montréal to promote prison reform and the abolition of capital punishment. Robert Bickerdike served as the Association's first president. In 1919, the Association merged with the Honour League of Canada to become the Canadian Prisoners' Welfare Association (CPWA). The CPWA continued to focus on prison reform, services to family members and released prisoners, and the abolition of capital punishment, and was central to the multiple Canadian Penal Congresses of the 20th century. The organization went through various mergers and name changes and eventually became the Canadian Criminal Justice Association. Given the provenance of the Murray bookplate collection, the Prison Library bookplate likely marked a donation from the Montréal based National Prison Reform Association between 1916 and 1919. On recto in pencil, 5 markings external to the printed border and also in ink, '69=14=5,' written within the printed border.
References:
1) 'Bickerdike, Robert.' Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. XV 1921-1930. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005.
2) 'Hayes, Rutherford Birchard.' The Free Dictionary. Farlex. 2010 <http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Hayes,+Rutherford+Birchard>.
3) 'Prison Reformers: The National Association Listen to Various Addresses.' New York Times. 7 November 1886. <http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20612FA345410738DDDAE0894D9415B8684F0D3>.
4) Yeager, Matthew. The First 75 Years: A History of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association, 1919 to 1994. Ottawa. <http://www.bccja.com/images/CCJA_HISTORY-ENG.doc>.

RBSC Bookplates

2010

Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from Rare Books and Special Collections: http://rbsc.library.ubc.ca

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