New-York tribune., 1884-02-29
EMPLOYMENT OF PRISONERS.
Methods SUGGESTED By OFFICIALS.
ruE CONTACT SYSTEM ATTACKED AND DEF
TOBACCO IN PRISON DIET.

ruE CONTACT SYSTEM ATTACKED AND DEfhNDN"
TOBACCO IN PRISON DlEr
Al the morning session of the conference ol
,rson officials under the auspices OF the N"uo"" 49,,
Association. at the Fifth Avenue iiosel otion Of
subject of Prison det discussed ON .lie ,a
,,nn,,i,c p,isoners with tobacco Dr. C. f. MacDon""
snperIntendent of the state Asylum io ,1o,a
criminals al Auburn, stated that experience ~ -, A.
o,on as well as study had led him TO oonouuo '.o s.
o,,oa Of regularly issuing tobacco 10 prisoners wa"
detri,nenta TO their bodily mental ana mor'l "'' 'I
,,A ho dscontnued He believed that tohacoo ra'Neu
1t 70 alcohol as dcterioTatng and demor"Slhs "se"
when used TO excess, especially to that degree oi
with which prisoners generally useo iV-is"oi','. ',
regsriipg IL as panacea for their mehIu 'n" uOuy
troubles Two years ago he eXpermehtaiy "i'""o'o
tobacco from his patients, most OF whom MA poo" ie
addicted to its The result had oeeh nioS. '",
S,rr and he was surprised to see how rapidly 'he
c,amor for It subsdcd. number OF pauen's ~"V
beretofore were irritable, noisy and pelllgereh' IVA"
,roduav ouieted down and became tIactaoe anu uso
his patients had also generally mproNeu III .'non
bodily health and mental and moral tone he siu n'
Nbe were warden and had the power 10 oo So . ne
o,a certainly prohibit the of tobacco in MS hSutu
90, ON the ground of economy. bodily and mental he'
aud cleanliness. -, u-or,apd
Az tho ofternoon session Professor Francis "ayIahu
,rcslded and the subject OF Prison Labor was u
euSsed Eugene Smith. Of the New-lork o'"'. 1,o
zion believed that the public account system U.
,,or vas the ideal system There would De no u'no
as to that IL there were not certain nmpoi' '""e " -
70 the system being applied al prcSeh' oor,ro,.
oh,ected that the prisons ere under pon''"
secondly that the system Woulc reluie ' 'o' ',t
outlav of capital by the state; ana .iii"' '" uo
,,tson labor into competition win Tree "OVi.
,l,o, that these objections had their fOuhaa'ioh !"
,o,s,m,r hension by the general puoho Vi Pi'
,oa.ters II the public could only be leu w
that urison MANAGEMENT was one OF the mos ipo, ~ '
brancpes of government. public opinion wouo oe 50
ann
,,rol that this objection would be removed III tno
,,e of the outlay Of capital it would be cheaper i"
.1 ste NJ Nevy-York to board all its prisoners at te
Fifth Avenue Hotel. If that would Insure 'neii '
rofoy,naton than to maintain the present p'i'oH =
He believed that the objection OF conpeu'lon "'
canied lightly by the most intelligent part VI ' ~
lnunity Intelligent people, he pelleNeu' ioe"o 80
effects OF that competition as too uiihnS 10 DC ' INV
account ...r,-,
ADVOCATING THE PIECE PRICE siSlEN'
IN t2vers of Ohio thought that the great mass VI
dav la,orers and farmers who couid no. suHei ~ '
oou,neiton OF prison labor and who woul ieei .n"' nv
had TO support the prisoners 10 idlene's' "ouu oe
r In ,nposition 10 the abolition OF prison laoof lie
snake strongly against the contract system lie "ouu
recommend what known as the piece price s3sIeu
that WAS he would contract for the Pron' oi 'n7
nsoners' labor and for the labor itself MI faI'er
son of Cleveland. believed that there was Nd s sIen
letter for the state financially and without considering
~, risoner than the contract system The state uhdei
1bat system had nothing TO do with furnishing inc
machinery and implements for the lapor' III Oo NV
plant OF the contractors who used the prisoners "'
had cost nearly 81 100000 Yet he favored the State
account system under that there was oeleI
,nortnity TO reach the reformation OF the PRISONERS
Mr. Rrocbway explained that under the piece price
,p the contractor agreed TO pay for what the CONVEX
actually did and for his time Any system III Wnc"
contractor was given great advantage over employers
of free labor and in which mercenary motives were maze
tl,e Il rlezfi
tbe contract system. ANY system which made the
,nercenary motive in accord with the highest interests o
tbe prisoners was the public accohnt plan. Inc piece
n,sce plan was inc best one for helping tOreioh tho
prisoners Mr. Brockway asserted that nat the od aT%hs m
classes did not demand tnat prison ia1or b
sbosaed: all that they asked was that thc ~ %
should be fair Isaac w. b3hfT bat The system Of prison
labor which had the most retormatoIy inhencei @ % t
foT the health, cleanliness and comfort OF son ' ,
which the most likely to be ser N ansWeJ
10 Mr. Rounds questions he stated teat theIS W. ~
cells with two occupants in Sing sing Prison. he e
Acknowledged that a prison was standing empty az
Clinton. HIS main objection TO tIans , pt
liked 10 have their friends visit them. ,,ou ,,,,
Professor Wayland SAID taI ne M W." S ronpSccm stale
Prison II haa under the contraGt system snVe M
state Including every item of expenditure since tne
sysiem Was begun He thought that there was no P'l @
i1 the land where there better order anu eSS
punishmen The sanitary condition OF 'hS l, l,ace, Who h
excellent In reference TO the retoriOS TeSss @ u, ndeI
condition best tor his reformation He did not
believe that the outcry against the con'rac, "a t me
aTeyed labor leormers because the prisons forhed u
Territory In labor of the state which thsy cou ,
touch The most natural and best way 10 40 was 10 -,
ont e ahor of he prisoners under the strict contrO OF
fhe managers of the prisons for the Dest lee h,c
could get His conclusion was TO mahe he alT I,a T a
reasonable objections 10 the contract s!s'eui s s "
possible.
WORK OF TIE NATIONAL PRISON ASSOCIATION
Mr. Wines spoke in behalf OF the National Prison AsSo-
,at,on He gave short sketch Of its work during the
set,ne Of his father the late Rev. Dr. T. C. Wines For
ever,l wears after Dr Winess death the association
lanashed hut ii recently been revived The objects
OF the organization were to secure sne onss ngs
temafic investigation and study OF que1sS
tions OF rrson administration; 10 inform ana mo"Id
nubic sentiments; TO gather ana pGDnSh IoIlhason E
i,Tis0n matters aud TO Influence legislation on tse suo
tt e asked for the support and cooperation 0I prison
wardens and other officers Tor tht assn ,
Ir Byers and General Brinkerhon VI Oho -loA ~aln
Ia i'm praise OF National Prison AsSOcldoh @ az
inerSod tou ght that Nation was much III neeu OI
snch an .sociaon He had tried in VAIN to nnu Vut
many convics the United states d % how thew
were treated. The Government was bot i -
prsoners as II ought to- There were many lnngs ~ v
nection with their care In places tDat ne ht
the Government ought Ia know. MT halsut thousn. 5
thai The Government prisoners were DeVlef c%o~ 40i
than other cOnvicts were 49,. = ID S,orons ~ tbe
poar of Managers the North Carolina St1te Ilson,
gave an account Of the penal system OF hls sihe % h
Ssd becn only recently developed. He sald hat WHIP
nd Iyss one of the modes punishment there iehry
keT.n asked what would be the ehect OF suDsu'9ite
whipping for OF the punshments usSu 10 m st The
fn the case of feOnes Captain stamps uougnI tn, te
degradation of whipping as punshheh. "sS Ot' p
parept snd tnst il not so DsfOal0ue az ~ 40 -
monty supposed 10 pc Inv ""'PF'No FO
Memorial resolutions were adopted in regard 70 me
death OF Dr. Elisha Harris, OF New-fOIK aD" '~'0 N
insOn, of New-Jersey.
-,,fDr AVIS FROM THE FORECAS1LE