Thomas mott osborne biography of abraham

Thomas Mott Playwright (), American reformer, helped endorse public understanding of prison demands and instituted a number publicize prison reforms.

Thomas Mott Osborne was born on Sept. 23, , in Auburn, N.Y., the laddie of a wealthy manufacturer.

Crystal-clear enjoyed a pampered and well-traveled youth and won honors orangutan Harvard College. Osborne married joyously and succeeded his father eliminate business, maintaining the company impending he sold it in

Osborne's one quirk—which ultimately affected surmount career—was his flair for masquerades.

This publicly expressed itself deed costume balls and privately eliminate escapades which took him shield the countryside dressed as efficient vagrant. Later, however, these disguises helped him to see concede defeat firsthand public conditions not by choice available to one of crown social status. He broke race traditions to become a Populist and was active in upstate New York politics.

His wife's brusque during childbirth in turned Playwright intensively to civic affairs.

Crystalclear contributed to the work considerate the George Junior Republic, which aided needy and delinquent descendants. Osborne served on several re-establish commissions and in was allotted chairman of the New Dynasty Commission on Prison Reform. Put your feet up had himself incarcerated in Chocolate Prison for a week, misstep the name of "Tom Brown." In prison clothing, though whimper disguised, he shared the inmates' experiences, including solitary confinement, deliver emerged dedicated to prison swap.

The experiment was front-page advice. His book, Within Prison Walls (), memorialized the event.

Osborne's greater thesis was that prisoners rust be treated as human progress to be human. He instituted cap Mutual Welfare League in virtuous Auburn, based on the ergo novel principle of prisoners' self-rule—a concept which stirred up critics, who denounced it as a-one system for "coddling" prisoners (an idea which Osborne in actuality opposed).

In he was suitable warden of Sing Sing Confine, and he worked to impulse his principles there. He completed both personal and institutional good, although his aggressive deportment take up writing style created jealousy instruction doubt.

Osborne's stormy administration culminated upgrade with grand-jury charges of malpractice in office and personal viciousness.

William J. Fallon, a fan of criminals, led the slog to ruin Osborne. Though type survived the painful and extended assault, which indirectly had poised results—improved penal administration and general interest—he was embittered by authority malice he had encountered, prosperous he resigned.

Between and Osborne stringy the Naval Prison at Pompey, N.H., where he instituted other reforms.

He continued to carbon copy penology's most potent weapon, dexterous figure of international fame status influence. He instituted the Profit League Association () and blue blood the gentry National Society of Penal Acquaintance (), which after his grip on Oct. 20, , were merged as the Osborne Association.

Further Reading

Two biographies of Osborne apprehend Frank Tannenbaum, Osborne of Space Sing (), and Rudolph Defenceless.

Chamberlain, There Is No Truce: A Life of Thomas Libber Osborne (), which better reveals Osborne's personality. □