Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-27

San QUENTIN STATE PRISON, July 26th.-
To-day's sitting makes the eleventh of the
San Quentin State Prison Investigation Com
mission. The three Commissioners, Director
| Eyerson and Warden Ames were present.
| Rev. Dr. Platt was also in attendance. The
minutes of yesterdays proceedings were read
and approved, and the Commission was then
called to order.
CAPTAIN LEES on THE CoNGREGATE SYSTEM.
| Captain Lees, the San Francisco detective,
was called, and his opinions elected relative
to the treatment of criminals, and the man.
agement of prisoners.
Captain Lees-I have been in the detective
business % years next October, principally
confined TO this State l am familiar with
the prison system as it exists here. The con-
clu5ions I have arrived at OF the working of
the prison system in California are unfavora-
bic. The first object to be kept in view is,
in my opinion, to make them reformatory.
Such thing is impossible under the present
congregate system. The prisoners of the
State should he first sent to one penal sta.
ton. The criminals should then be graded
and hardened criminals separated from
younger and first offenders. At present the
prisoners cannot be classified. There are
among criminals many whom we characterize
as professionals All second-termers are
usually considered professionals.
To Mr.. Watt-Many of them elude detec-
+;o, a,,J vo,-,a ,,f tha,,, acoa,a froro ,,r.so,,
That is why 1 advocate the establishment of
first general penal station, and at that place
they should be graded and greater care taken
to prevent older criminals from influencing
younger ones.
THE GRADED SYSTEM IN ENGLAND.
That is the system in England. All pris-
oners in that country are first sent to Mill
bank or to Pentonville. There they remain
not less than niue months. at the expira-
ton of the first fourteen days he is permitted
to address his friends and receive an answer.
The prisoners are numbered, and they lose
their identity. They are never called by
their proper Names but always by their num-
ber Al prisoners get eight marks or credits
a day. II he loses any of them from miscon-
duct, he loses some of the privileges that are
permitted to them, and at the end of each
year the total is calculated, and there is either
a certain number OF days to his credit or a
increased by the number of days against him.
The English system and that laid down in
the Goodwin Act are essentially the same.
THE DETECTIVES DETAILED STATEMENT.
Captain Lees here entered on detailed ex-
PLANTATION of the interior arrangements of the
prisoners cell in England. Captain Lees, re-
Stunning: During the nine months the pris-
oner is confined at the preliminary prison,
the Warden and Surgeon make regular re-
ports of him to the Governor. On those re-
ports he is drafted to some other prison
Strong, healthy men are sent to Portsmouth
to work in the dockyards, and others to other
prisons. Through all this classification of
the prisoners is kept in view. The second
time offender is never placed with the first
offender. 1t is corresponding system that
will have to be adopted here in California, or
the present existing obstacles in the way of
making the prison reformatory institution
will not be overcome.
To Mr.. Mills-The class of men deferred
from the further commission of crime de-
ponds largely on the prison discipline.
PERFECT DREAD OF THE SILENT SYSTEM.
Prisoners have the greatest dread of the
silent system. They have perfect horror
of isolation and confinement. 1t is not be.
cause they are more barshly treated, but
simply because they are kept alone, never
allowed to speak to any one, nor even al
lowed to look the Warden in the face when
he comes il. i have heard many of them
say they would rather die than have to go
back to prison worked on the silent system.
To the professional thieves it is especially
dreadful, and the recollection of the silent
system will deter them from the committal
of crime when nothing else will.
DIR. W. H. PLATT,
OF San Francisco, was the next witness.
After few preliminary questions, DIR. Platt
asked permission to submit written state
ment of his views upon the causes of crime,
the relation Of education to crime, and
kindred subjects, which he promised to fur
nish the Commission at an early date.