The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-08-25

the opinion that this system ls not re-
fcrmatory in character. and that 1t tends
to harden the prisoners, rather than 9TH
erwise, Mr.. Byers has, for many years,
applied himself closely to the study Of
the question of reformation in connec'
ton with our penal and reformatory IN
stitutions, and his testimony certainly
deserves very careful consideration at
your hands. It will be seen from his
testimony, that prisoners are very often
punished because they are unable to per
form the amount of work required by
the contractor. In proof of this, we give
the following quotation from his test.
mony: "WIthin the past year | stood
at the door OF dark cell, and saw q col
ored man standing with his wrists chain
ed to the wall so that he could not move,
and heard him plead with the chaplain,
who was with me, for Gods sake to have
him released; that he had done his best;
that he could not do another thing more
han he had done. And his cffense as l
learned from the chaplain at tn time,
was that he had not fulfilled his days
task"
This, we learn, is only one ofthe many
samples of brutal punishment inf ,cted
ostensibly in the interests Of the con-
tractors.
We also beg leave to call your atten.
ton to similar case Of punishn ent up.
on risoner named Charles Cody, a
ITO der. eny Dyed in be hol w-waI 0
10 OF A G Patton, a Coz trcct, in ,tl''
Pen tent ~ From his Q in oily, given
ia tie pr, sence ofthe Wal en- it appears
that during the first tiftsen months of his
COL fnemept he was unished out once,
and, as he admits, for violation Of one
OF the rules of the prison-that of talk
ing to prisoner. There was no COM
plant on account Of his work until the
contractor changed the pattern for him
to work with, when it became impossi-
bic for him to make the number of pieces
required by the schedule, notwiths and
ing he strove even harder than befo.e to
perform the required amount of work
The reason of this failure to perform the
amount of work required by the con-
tractor, it is claimed, and not wi hout
pluasibility, was that the pattern had
! been made 80 thin that the meta would
CONCEAL before it surrounded the mould.
For this the prisoner was subjected to
the most inhuman treatment, which GOV.
cred a period of three monthe, when the
pattern was changed, af er which the
prisoner performed his task in a salts.
factory manner. The punishment meted
out to him during the period referred to
was confinement in a dark, dismal, con.
traCted dungeon, with no ventilation and
no atmosphere, except that which he
breathed over and over again, without a
mouthful to eat,and compelled to remain
during the entile night, when in the
morning he was taken out to tank Of
cold water, divested Of all his clothing,
his feet shaCkled and arms pinioned be.
hind him. This completed, two stalwart
men plunged him into the water, and
held him under until nearly suffJcated,
when he was taken out and permitted to
DIRE 8, and then comp lied to 60 to his
work, with but crust of bread, weak
and exhausted from starvation and pun.
ishment. If he then again failed to per-
form the amount Of work required by
the contractor, he was subjected 10 rep.
etition Of the punishment described.
This, we submit, is burning shame, and
reproaCh to the enlightened spirit of
the age, and, if permitted to continue
without at least an effort toward reform
upon our part, will be standing dis.
grace to the fair name of Ohio.
Much of this punishment is attributed
directly to the contract system, and tends
by no means to reform the prisoner.
This, in the opinion of your Committee,
is one Of the reasons why so few of the
many prisoners conf led in our Peniten.
tiaries are made any better by their con.
fnement The principal reason, however
assigned for the inapelith on the part of
the officers of penal institutions whose
industries are managed by outside par
ties, to reform the prisoners, is the sys
TEN OF contract labor. Under this sys-
tenn the prisoner is humiiated and dis.
graced; he is b. d,Rs it e,into slavery,
on the block ,un or the auCtioneer's ham.
mer, the State b ing the auCtioneer, and
the contractor the purchaser. We find
that many of the unfortunates iDcarcer-
ated in our Penitentiary were not really |
bad at heart, and, when sentenced to i'm
p isonment at hard labor, firmly resolved |
that at the expiration of their sentence
they would obey the law and become
good citizens; but when disgraced to the
level, aye, even beneath that of slave,
they lose whatever manhood they pos |
sess, and resign themselves to a life OF |
hopeless degradation. This is especially |
the case with the more intelligent por.
tion Of the prisoners. This we find by |
close observation and diligent inquiry |
among the prisoners themselves.
In view Of the evidence adduced upon |
the question Of reformation in Connec.
ton with our penal institutions, your
Committee is nequivoCally and unani !
mously of the opinion that the reforma.
ton of prisoners can not be successfully |
accomplished, indeed, if it can be &C.
Compished at al, under the contract sys-
tenn
Your Committee is also of the opinion
that no institution can be made reform
atory agency where punishment is the
primary and leading object. The treat.
ment which aims only to punish for the
sake of furnishing is dangerous alike to
society and the criminal. All History on
this subject proves conClusively that it
never improves he criminal, but often
makes him worse. When we shut a
criminal out from society we do so in no I
spirit of ev.nge, nor with a view Of
wreCking veDgenCe upon him. Hec
the criminal, when he finds that much Of
the bodily punishment itf.cted upon
him results from a spirit Of revenge en-
ge ldered in the breast of some contract.
or's oveIseer, whose judgment in the
matter of what constitutes fair task is
too often accepted by our prison officials,
and the unfortunate culprit subjected to
the most inhuman and degrading pun.
the finer feelings Of his nature
became calloused, and every hope of his
reformation is crushed out of him, and
from that moment he becomes los to 30.
Ciety. This state Of affairs would not, as
a matter Of course, exist under system
the industries of prison were
managed by the State.
PROFITS oFPRIsoN CONTRA ACToRs,