New-York tribune., 1884-02-28
STATE PRISON MANAGEMENT.
CONFERENCE OF wARpENs AND OFFICERS.
DISCUSSING CLOTHING GRADED PRISONS AND THE
INDEFINITE SENTENCE SYSTEM.


A. Brush OF sing Sing, Chaplain seares, ofthe Auburn
Prison. Superintendent Brockway. OF Elmira, Warden
J. O. sater. Of the Southern Illinois Prison. warden
Cloughry OF Joliet Illinois, Sinclair Tousey, L. d. Pts
bury Of Albany Warden Cassidy, OF Philadelphia Fred
erick H. Wines of Springfield, Illinois, Warden Carter.
OF waupun, Wisconsin Warden Pond, OF tho Michigan
state Prison Superintendent BrnkerhOd OF Ohio, Abra
Adams OF the Colorado penitentary and Warden Fox.
OF Blackwers Island At the morning session tho Rev.
Dr 8. Ircnaus Prime presided and prison constructions
size cells ventilation sanitary arrangements and KIN
dred topics discussed. At the afternoon session
Sinclair Tousey presided.
tn. first question discussed was "PrSon clothing;
quality variety Of garments and frequency Of change"
Warden Brush of Sing Sing said that prisoners should
be well clothed In the ordinary variety OF garments
which people The cloth should be suitable and or
fair quality 1t considered that clothes OF some dis
tnctive character matter Of safety Mr.. Brockway
demurTed from the opinion that distinctive clothing was
necessary in all prisons except in the absolutely dcgrad
ed class of prisoners At the Emira Reformatoy there
were three grades III the intermediate grade the priso
dressed IN ordinary gray clothing. II they
went into lower grades they clothed IN red garb
but not stripes It not thought best to put on
that badge OF lost citizenship and degradation. The
upper grade clothed in light blue cloth with navy
cap This dress distinctive, but 1t was looked upon
by the prisoners honor to It. In the lower
grade the prisoners did not feel the degradation OF us
tinctive dress they too degraded Jhey never
had man attempt to pass ont in citizens dress at the
Elmlra Refomaory. Any man who could get out could
get an ordinary suit OF clothing for fifty cents within
half mile Of the prison. Chaplain seares OF the Auburn
Prison agreed with Mr. Brockway and said that men had
told him that putting the stripes tile greatest cri
sis in their lives They had felt that the hardest blow
at their manhood Keeper Laioriy OF the NeWrJerssey
Prison Trenton favored the OF striped or Other as
tinctive clothing. Charles j.. FELTON,, warden OF III"
Chicago House of Correction iayored ses lGr GonEers
in such prisons Auburn aud Sing Sing but In Ordinary
city prisons and In re0rmatOry institutions he Dcnefeu IN
Sent OF bs Wisconsin State Board Of Chsrtes and the
Rev. Dr. Byers OF Ohio also spoke upon the question
THE QUESTION OF GRADED PRISONS.
On the question OF graded prison system for States
Mr. Brpckway thought such system desirable, and that
the great of the prisons throughout the country was
the lack OF grading and classification. In some States,
however boys and put in prisous sep
araed from the other penal institutions In NeWforE'
where there three PRISONS 1t would be comparative
ly easy make graded system. Cranks ana cnppies
and all abnormal mental condition might be sent to
the Clinton Prison Auburn might be put on an entirely
reformative basis and Sing Sing might be improved.
Classification could be made In large prisons In states
where there was bu one by the prisoners clothing by
their occupations by their step In going from place TO
place in the prison. by their diet and comforts ana IN
sSe hctno ssnso and the cases of
demeanors should not be madeon the basis OF either cr
nal record age When convict came to the prison MI
Brocway would receive him into the Intermediate class
and then determine which grade he should aerwsrd be-
Ions to- Character should be the true basis OF cassca
ton in prisons as ii should be In society Dr Sp'ith phy
cfapO of Prison,
should Oe made that the young prisoners snond 3e
kent from contact with the DID, hardened criminals
Warden Brush said that the whole prison system OF TINS
state corrupted by the desire TO maze money Ech
penitenary ought TO keep itS feons 50 that surplus
earnings might be made. Even Judges it Is SAID
i'm the six counties where there were penentiaies,
shortened sentences that conycts should be Kept III
from OF Refuge and thought that The courts
S9Sad c 10 DO the hs nf Te fns 80 Mr. racrson 6f he
Workhouse, House OF Refuge and House Of Corrections
GSyfaEG sao5s 'nSpSh each staie should be ' c.s
! fed and that in each institution there should
| be thorough classification Of inmates also.
Frederick H. Wines thought there should be connec.
tion between county officers and prison administration
grown up condition Of society which existed rnapg
years and that the sie was moi Wrrsiteo oy inc
present state OF society and government ~ TINS country
lie believed the whole stem should be abolished with
6eT Re eTSmSdH nndar Of fbs cry coPro Of he state Cen
| era BrinkerhoG. Of Ohio. agreed with MT
for the detenon OF prisoners awaiting trial ard that the
prisoners should DO kept entirely separate rom each
sent district warehouses. Dr. Byers maintained that
the whole system from the a 9p ,aSnq @ os 45oGsh % 9
500 persons in the county ias OF this state ana t1at
Tho sheris would therefore he interested oppOs-
ing the Capitalization of al prison administration In the
hands Of state officials.
| FOR AND AGAINST INDEFINITE sENTENCEs
At the evening session there were prescut, in addition
o those who were at the morning and afternoon sessions
Isaac V Baker supeinendcn OF New York prisons Il.
Dodge warden Hampshire State Prison, and
the Rev j. L. Migan, chaplain Of the Western Penten-
ary Of Pennsy The question considered was The
Indefinite Sentence" Eugene Smith, recording secretary
of the Nev-Yoik Prison Association, maintained that
convicted elon be released from prison TO prey
be perfectly do this He favored indefinite
! teDce. Mr.. Wines asked II man who had committed
some minor offence such chicken stealing, should
be committed for indefinite period and held until
seal another chicken He slsoasked who should decide
whether safe 10 release prisoner Mr. BrOckway
suggested the judge VINO committed him might de
! la, her
Burchard thought that the boards OF prison managers
would ne the best tribunals decide the question. lie
would not take the character OF the crime cOnsdera
| uon. Mr.. Adams of Colorado, Thought the
| Indefinite sentence theory Ia " beautiful as
| an angels dream" but in practice no believed
itwould be extremely difficult TO lind boards OF managers
capable Of deciding upon the length OF tenn AZ present
boards OF managers were put IN power for political re-
ward, ana turned OUT TOT pOhilcai purhne' In Color
ado there had been ior Wadeis since $50 Ia another
state there had been fourteen changes In The prison
agenent in few years. Could so elaborate theory De
Applied when such OF affairs eXisedl Dr. ByeTs OF
| OHIO believed that the indefinite or indeerminote
political prisons As tne public should
be made To understand the evils OF such control the poll
ticans would Ttlegaed-pOssiby 10 the prisons Chap
lain searcs strongly opposed the indefinite sentence be-
cause be did not believe that any could decide at
what time il would be safe to let prisoners go free
Mr. Patterson. Ccve and favored indefinite sentences
and favored abosnng the maximum term of imprisOn
MrWnes refused to discuss the question Of the indefinite
or ndetermnae sentence, which hes2d, meant imprisOL
ment without Limit and was equivalent to reformatoy
seDenceOr sentence uf incarceration until the prison
,s rrfoIrnatiou was completed Under the indefinite
sentence there msximum iimit imposed 10y the
criminal code He would the Incorporation into
The code of the principle conditional
"ticket-ofeaye" That system had been tried In Ire
land in England, well a. in the reform schools OF
| this country and at the Elmra ReformatoIy. II
| was both practicable ard beneficial. His
| principal objection to the removal OF
he maximum limit that he did not know many
| dens IN the United States who could be trusted with
power 10 determine the proper duration of impriSOn
ment. Certainly this power ought not 10 he ntrsted
wardens who did not believe IN the possibility OF prs
Onors reformation, and would make effort secure
IT, That would be outrage upon the prisoner,
that he should be held until reformed yet give him O
pOrtunty 60 reform. Mr. Wines had rule FOR Judging
wardrns a had u rule for Judging superintendent
hospitals for the insane. The best superintendent
the who had the least fear OF his patents, aud The
best warden the one who had the correct
ceptiOn Of the relative importance and actual possibility