Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-10
Psychological.
METHODS FOR THE PREVENTION
OF CRIME DISCUSSED.
Supgestions of a Lifelong Detec-
tive-The Responsibility
of Parents.

Yesterday. at 10 A. NJ, and the discussion OF
the evening before was resumed.
Mr.. Hendricks said, in his report, which
covers nearly one hundred pages, embrac-
ing REPLIES to the various questions, from
those engaged in solving the question OF
prison reforms throughout the United
States, that the question relating to non
partisanism in prison management also
brings up a subject lying at the tounda-
ton among the first principles OF prison
reform and good prison management.
81 Results are not obtained by hospital or
prison walls. but on the treatment inside
We cannot over-rate the Importance OF
having good prison officers. a poor law
only handieaps q good officer, but poor
officer nullifies the most perfect law.
Some one saws very truly OF officers
There are two extremes of character, two
qualities apparently inconsistent with each
other. which must yet be combined to form
the highest style of prison officers"
s. There are men who are all lion, all firm
ness, but destitute of any sympathetic feel
ing. Again. there are men who are all
tenderness, all sympathy, but VOID of all
tenacity of purpose" But the true prison
officer will be firm as rock, and yet tender
and sympathetic in his feelings, so that
when the occasion requires he can stand
like Mount Blanc or weep like woman.
Partisan management initiates against
stocking prisons with such Officers.
California is noted among all prison peo-
pie in the East for its prison particularly
non -partisan) provisions, and the Gov
ernor deserves gratitude for carrying out its
spirit
May our prison future keep pace with
our past How delighted | should be if
California would forge to the front and
please the entire prison world, by boldly
declaring in favor of indeterminate sem
fences.
Then board belonging to the executive
department, and composed say as follows
Governor, ex otficio Chairman one men,
Der selected by the Supreme Court Judges
from their number, to guard law points;
one member from the Board of Health, to
Judge of the physical condition; one selected
from the religious world, to represen that
sentiment one from the Board OF Trade,
to look after the business interests, with the
Chief of Police in San Francisco, who
would watch the effect from police-crime
standpoint. Some such Board, operating
under an indeterminate law, with all the
prisons of the State unified and graded I'M
der it ; with the entire prison management
entirely divorced from partisan politics and
the prisons differed as they only can be
under civil service rules, would furnish the
necessary missing link to future success in
penal management.
Under such a SYSTEM instead of manu-
featuring criminals as now, we might ex-
pect, besides the moral aspect of the ques-
ton, to see thousands, if not hundreds of
thousands, saved to the State yearly, in re-
storing convicts to productive citizens, and
i'll cost of recomittments saved.
Every class of prisoners, from the con-
vict without crime, who never should have
been imprisoned, to the criminal without
hope, who never should get out, ought to
be satisfied with that justice which permits
them to exercise the God-given privilege of
free agency in allowing them to make their
| own future through an indeterminate SEN
tence. Those who will not benefit by it
have but themselves to blame.
AFTER STAGE.
The State, in protecting society against
the convicted criminal, whether justly con-
victed or not has to destroy, to a very con-
siderable extent. his character, and to
blacken his prospects for the future in life.
The object being not punishment for past
offenses, but protection against similar OF
fenses in the future, the State should be
specially interested in permanently carry
ing out the intent. Convicts, whether
criminal or not-and there are certainly
many of the latter, who, if not entirely in
nocent, are only the victims of accident,
circumstance, impulse or passion-leave
the prison diseraced, without perhaps
money or friends, and the hand OF every
one against them. Under such circum-
stances, it is not strange that the best in
no cd o.
| est resolutions fail. As the intention is, or
should be, to protect society in reformation,
or through fear of consequence, prevent a
repetition of the offense, and as il costs
thousands on the average to commit, or re-
commit, would it not be pecuniary wis
dom, as well as simple Christianity, to try
| and hold up after lifting up? Is it not the
duty of the State to - protect the ex convict
against society, as well as to protect society
against the criminal?'
1t is moral more than a money help he
needs. | disbelieve in moneyed help for the
able bodied without a consideration in all
cases it is demoralizing.
1t is stated that during the decline of
the Roman Empire the poor of Rome be-
came so demoraliZed by the amount of
charity bestowed, that they to a great ex-
| tent ceased to work" The prisoner needs
| moral sustenance, and help to get work.
Man is a social being, and his duties are
social" Taboo him socially, and his hope
and ambition is gone Taboo bis labor,
and he is driven to crime. " reat him
| like dog, he behaves like a dog" Con
| stantly disgraced, he continually grows
worse" Humanity is reformatory, re-
| formation is economy. To recommit him
| is expensive: to furnish him work, or EN-
ploy an agent to advise, and strengthen and
help him get work, is justice, humanity
and economy.
| Arnop cambridge, of San Francisco, in
letter of regrets at his inability to be pres
| ent at the meeting, among other things
said g | will respectfully suggest that any
means that your Commission may adopt
! toward securing to each deserving prisoner,
/ on his discharge, a reasonable sum of
money for the purpose of affording him
! the means of support for reasonable
| length of time after being DISCHARGED, so
that he may have an opportunity of look
ing for employment, | think would re-
ceive the Endorsement of every officer
who has had any great experience
| in criminal matters. The difficulty
has been, and | believe still is, that dis
charged prisoners seldom have more than
sufficient to keep them in the most &c, n
| omical manner for a few days. and when
hunger comes upon them they are very
| likely to become reckless and fall into bad
ways again. / may also take the liberty of
suggesting that system of grading, ac-
| cording to the crimes and previous records
of the prisoners, might be adopted. For
| instance, a great many otherwise good,
honest men are confined for offens
against the person, viz: Assault to murder
and kindred offenses. Under the present
| system of indiscriminate association, such
prisoners very often become thieves on
getting their liberty, not through any nat
ural bent in that direction, but simply
from becoming familiar with thieves and
| their ways during their terms of imprison-
ment. If such prisoners were separated
from the class that are confined for offenses
against property. etc, l believe that it
would be productive of good, and save
many of the more intelligent and better
grade of prisoners from falling into dis
| honest ways on being released.
Il also think that young, iirst-term
prisoners should be kept apart from the
older criminals so that if they have dis
position to reform at the expiration of
their terms of Imprisonment, they may not
be led away by the fowery yarns OF Older
convicts.
Il believe that any plan that will assist
| in saving any discharged prisoner teven if