Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-07
The National Conference ofCharities
and Correction.

The National Conference ofCharities
and Correction.
The attendance at the twelfth annual
National Conference OF Charities and Cor.
rection at Washington is fully as large as
was expected. Between 400 and 800 dele
gates are present. A very deep interest
appears to be taken in the various mat
tiers that are presented for consideration.
1t is pretty clear to those who have
given the question Of the best methods OF
dealing with convicts the consideration
it deserves that there is plenty of
room for improvement in the methods at
present employed. In New York and two
or three other States there has been
marked progress within the last few years
in the construction of prisons and the
management Of convicts.
Much more Importance has been given
to the reform idea in those States
than it has ever before received.
The aim has been TO check to as
great an extent as possible the increase
in the number of criminals, and also TO
reclaim those who have not become so
wholly committed to their downward
course of life as TO make a change for the
better practically impossible.
In some OF the prisons in the State of
New York the prisoners are separated
into classes. Those who are charged with
heinous Otfenses are not permitted to as
sociate with those who are guilty only of
petty crimes, and great care is taken to
keep boys away from old and hardened
| offenders.
1t is a well-known fact that those who
have had great experience in the commits
sion of crime take pleasure in teaching
those they meet in prison, particularly
! young men and boys, all they know of
| criminal matters. They expect at some
future time to avail themselves of the aid
that those young men and boys may be
able to render them.
There is another objection to permitting
the worst criminals to come into contact
with those whose offenses are not such as
to shut them out from the hope of soon re-
Stunning an honorable place in society. 1t
is that the hardened cOnycts, when they
have at last secured their liberty, often
hunt up the minor offenders whom they
have met in prison aud blackmail them
by threatening to make known the story of
their shame. Instances of this kind are
not infrequent.
There is one thing that State and cOun-
ty authorities are not as careful about as
they ought to be. 1t is the selection of
| those who have control of the prisons. A
few years ago the Jail of the District of
] lpI In tod hoip
one of the best managed institutions OF the
kind in the country. The chief jailer was
changed, and almost Immediately
change for the worse in the management
of the prison was noticed. The prison
lost its fresh, clean appearance, and the
rules and regulations that had added so
much to the health and comfort of the
prisoners were no longer enforced. From
a model prison the institution became
very dirty and badly regulated jail.
The system of working convicts outside
of the prisons and in gangs has been very
severely criticised for several reasons,
but chiefly because it has tendency to
brutalize the convicts and to increase the
number of criminals. There is nothing
retormatOrY in the system, and those
States which have adopted it on the
ground of economy may not find it
eventually so very economical. lift helps
to make criminals and does not reform
any the time may come when the States,
in which it is pracuced, may have more
criminals than they will know what to
do with. The cost of securing the cOnvic-
ton of those charged with the commission
of crimes win then be 80 great that it
will be very serious burden.
This matter of the proper treatment of
conyicts, and those charged with criminal
ofienses, is OF especial interest in this
community at this time. This county is
about to build a new jail, and the Jail
ought to be in keeping with the most adj
vanced of the approved ideas of prison re-
form. Whatever VIII tend to keep down
the number of criminals will serve the
highest interests of the community.