Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-04
THE LIFE OF A DOG.

bling, drinking ard other excuses are in
dulged in. a man with money can get any
thing there-tobacco, whisky and even
women. The officials there are making all
the way from 81 to $40 per day off the pris-
oners, by furnishing them these contraband
articles. have known cases where guard
at $50 per month has saved enough money to
carry him over one administration until he
could get back again. The evil is due more
to the system than TO the officials them
selves. No man should be admitted as an
official unless he is good man and capable
of being in himself moral instructor. I'm
less you have men imbued with this high
sense of honor, the wo-k OF reformation will
be useless. Other men will simply stay there
to make all there is in sight. There are many
persons there whose friends provide them
with money and luxuries.
Witness descanted on the evil Of permitting
hardened criminals to associate with younger
criminals.
MIR. Gibbs informed witness that during
this administration boys had either been
separated from the men or else placed in
charge of convicts who were morally good
men. but had made single misstep.
DAILY NEWSPAPERS.
Witness referred to the fact that daily
newspapers were circulated in the prison, and
that these of course had accounts of crimes
daily committed by their comrades at large.
This has bad effect on prisoner. There is
even an agency for the sale of papers right in
the prison.
Mr.. Mills said he knew that The pro-
priety of removing this was under considera-
tor.
Witness, resuming, said that nothing like
this exists in other prisons. When convict
leaves the prison, even if he is inclined to go
to work, he is met By Deputy Sherifs
throughout the State, who blackmail these
untortunates and aid in driving them back to
the Penitentiary. He cited the case of an
ex-convict who had to work for six months
for q Deputy Sheriff without getting cent.
Judge Freelon, said witness, stated that San
Quentin makes young men criminals that
they viii not keep out of there, and that he
has had to send young men back there for
life. In other words, that the State makes
them criminals, and that it has to take care
of them for life. Witness conceded with
Judge Freelon in his opinion.
THE PRISONS OF GREAT BRITAIN.
California to-day is in about the same con-
dition that Great Britain was fifty years ago.
Howard, Crofton and other humanitarians
have made the English prisons better reform
atories. Croftou, on being allowed to work
out his plans in the Irish prisons, had re-
duced the percentage Of reconvictions from
65 per cent. to Z. No subject has been SO
well discussed in England as the science of
penology. The principle has become well
established that prison should have a dual
character The first thing is that it should
be deterrent and second. reformatory, carry
ing out, first of all, the idea of deterrent pun
ishment. The prisoner, when taken charge
of, if he is man of bad character, must be
taken hold OF, and new and better ideas in
stilled into him. He should first bs placed
in solitary cell from four weeks to nine
months. he should see no human
being but his Chaplain, and even
his food should be left for him
by some one he cannot see. He is left to
his own reflection, except when twice a week
he is visited by his moral instructor. This
Instructor must be q man capable of gaining
the respect of the convict, aud he must
be able to find the weak spot in his
a cell say six weeks, work should be given
him that can be done in his cell. The work
should be something requiring patience and
industry He should be allowed due credit
for work properly done. 1 have heard con-
victs say thai they would rather undergo one
years confinement among their fellows than
one month in solitude. The second step is
to place them with others in silent room,
where no prisoner is allowed to speak to an.
other. Here, if good and bad men are mixed
they cannot talk Men are com
PEELED to keep apart and not talk. They thus
gain certain government over themselves.
me olOlENs
In England it was found that the number
of reconvictions was SO large because, after
the long restraint in prison, they were sud-
denly discharged, and they naturally ran to
excess. This was remedied in England by
giving the prisoners certain liberties, under
what was called the " ticket-of-leave sys-
TEN. This has been found to be the best
feature ever introduced into prison life
Where this is extant ticket-of-leave man
must, for certain time, report himself to
the prison authorities. He is not known to
the community as an ex-convict, and even
policeman is not allowed to recognize him as
such. The witness said that, with some slight
changes and outlay, it will be possible to con-
struct the Folsom prison to carry out the
silent system. This State is committed to the
of lutte. By some changes at
San Quentin the system could be carried out
even there. The State could very wisely buy
200 or 800 acres OF land in the valleys near
San Quentin, where could be instituted
model farm, where men with short terms
could work.
Mr.. Watt-How would Santa Catalina
island do?
MIR. Nielsen--Wel, don't think that the
State is prepared to give up its present quar-
tiers. This farm should be an adjunct of San
Quentin, which could use the products of the
farm. The prisoners On the farm could be
trusted, because they would not care to lose
their one fifth credits earned in the prison.
In Australia, model farm is kept up by the
State The ticket.of.leave system could not
be carried cut here, as we have no uniform
police, and there are too many facilities for
getting away.
DO Nor GIVE UP Hundreds that have
sLff cred for years from kidney diseases