Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-05
PRISON PROBLEMS.
DIFFICULTIES OF PRISON NAN
AGEMENT- REFORMATION.
Parole DEMONSTRATIONS Graded
Schools for Crime = Labor in
Prisons-Many Problems.

from the pen OF r. T. Deglin, one of the
State Prison Directors for California, and
Secretary of the State Pathological Com
mission:
In the present century q great change if
not reform, has been made in prison man
agcment No longer is the unfortunate
who has committed crime consigned to a
dungeon, aud made to endure a life OF tor
ture. Humanity now revolts at the bar
barities practiced at the time John Howard
commenced his labors for the pre- rention of
cruelty. the improvement of prison struc-
lures, and the amelioration of the condi-
tiol Of the convict But, as in all reactions
from uuwarranted severity, there is danger
also in this, that the opposite extreme of
lazity and undue sympathy may be reached.
Systems of prison management may be,
and have been, proposed which in theory
are perfect, and which. if men were ma
chimes, might be successfully carried out.
Those who have given attention to the
TREATMENT OF CRIMINALS,
Have ollen differed as 10 the best course to
be pursued from the distinction between
the results, which in their judgment is the
object OF prison system TO attain. Look
ing at the interests of society in the aggre-
gate solely, we may say that one course is
commenduble, while if we regard the duty
that society owes to the individual crimi-
nal as man, and the benefit it NAV itself
derive from making him good and law
obeying man, we NAV declare that such
course will fail to produce any permanent
moral Improvement in the person. but will
leave him a more confirmed and trained
criminal than he was before. Criminals
are punished, il is true, for the advantage
and protection of organized society But
we have now reached a period when it is
almost universally conceded by those con-
nected with the prison management. or
who have carefully studied it, that a greater
good is effected by causing moral re-
generation in the prisoner than can be OBJ
tanned or expected from the inhiction upon
him of any amount of vindictive punish
ment Abandoning the idea, then, that a
prison is nothing more than
PLACE FOR THE DETENTION
And punishment of offenders, and accept
ing the more reasonable as well as humane
view that the great majority of those who
have found their way into prison, may at
their release, by proper management and
discipline, be sent into the world useful
and law abiding citizens q number of prob
lens present themselves, which, under our
frequent changes in party administration,
are not, ii must be confessed easy OF solu-
ton
First of all, it must be evident that if
reformation of prisoner is the principal,
or at least an important consideration in
prison management, the skill and training
required 20 change bad man into a good
one cannot be acquired in a day. To ac-
compilsh this fully, or perhaps appreciabiy
requires u degree OF preparation an insight
into human motives, IA true sympathy
and al educated Judgment, which, as in
other pursuits can only be obtained by
training and experience. Hence a prison
official should be trained for his calling
and when he demonstrates his fitness for
the peculiar task which he has chosen, he
should be assured of steady employment at
reasonable remuneration. 1t has been
often assumed that any one is capable of
taking charge of prison, of enforcing dis
cipline, aiding and
REFORMING THE PRISONER.
And at the same time of successfully car
rying on the various industrial pursuits in
which the convicts may be engaged. The
truth is that more ability and more versa
tility are required in prison officers than
are generally demanded as the price of sue
cess of those employed in ordinary bust
ness life. To insure the maintenance of
proper discipline, the subordinate officers
shauld be under the complete control of
the Warden. He should be held to strict
accountability for all that goes amiss, and
justly should exercise his own judgment,
free from outside influence, in choosing
his employees, If these are chosen for him
by Others without regard to their compe-
tency, it is impossible for him to possess
that power and control essential to securing
the best results. If there is any institution
to which civil service rules should be APP
piled, it is prison. 1t probably is foreign
to our ideas to adopt the system advocated
by some European thinkers of establishing
a normal school in which persons intended
to be placed over prisoners should receive
special training. This may be considered
impracticable. But it is essential to secure
unity of action and perfection in the carry
ing out Of details that all the subordinate
officials of prison should at stated times
be called together and instructed in their
duties They should be taught that of the
mainsprings of human conduct hope is
MORE POTENT AGENT
Than fear, and they should have not only
an interest in their work, but also con-
viction that even very hardened criminals
can be made TO feel some respect for au-
thority. What preliminary training prison
officers should receive, AID by whom their
competency for their peculiarities should
be determined, is, then, one of the prob
lens deserving attention. In most of the
States there is but one prison, TO which all
persons over a certain age, convicted of
felony, are committed. If there are more
than one, it is only because the number of
prisoners is so large that the number of
prisons must in consequence be increased.
Yet. to secure the best results, it seems to
me that there ought to be graded system
of prisons. By placing the one who has
committed his first crime in the same
building and workshop with the profess
sional thief, there is in constant and power
fail operation. against all the favorable in
fluences of discipline and labor, the evil
influence of association with the debased
and vicious. All crimes do not involve
the same degree of moral turpitude. Yet,
under o1l present system, all offenders
are classed alike. There may, very
be difference of opinion us
TO the number of prisons of different
grades that should be provided for in har
monious and
wELL-ARRANGED SYSTEM.
Almost everywhere the necessity is recog-
nized of separating the youthful criminals
AAOtlA AlAG oiu mere " ut, 1DMtNt4-
in addition to an institution for the care OF
the young offender, two distinct grades of
prisons. Under this classification there
should be assigned to the first those in
whom there is hope of reformation, and to
the second those who are confirmed in
their evil course. Perhaps even, more
Just and philosophical division would be to
arrange the prisons into three classes. to the
first OF which those who had committed
first offense should be sent; another, in
which second-termers should be impris-
oned, and third, i'll which the habitual
criminals and life-termers should be lodged.
PAROLE SYSTEM
There is much to commend in the pro-
vision recently adopted in Ohio that every
person who. after having been twice con-
yicted and imprisoned in some penal insti-
tuition for felony, whether committed here
tofore or hereafter, and whether committed
in this State or elsewhere within the limits
OF the United States of America shall be
convicted and sentenced and imprisoned in
the Ohio Penitentiary for felony hereafter
committed, shall be deemed and taken to
be an habitual criminal. and on the expira-
ton of the term for which he shall be so
sentenced he shall not be discharged from
Imprisonment in the Penitentiary. but shall
be detained therein for and during his nat
ural life, unless pardoned by the Governor,
and the liability TO be SO detained shall be
and constitute a part of every sentence in
the Penitentiary.n Power, however, is