Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-29
OUR PRISONS.
THE PENOLOGY SYSTEM IN VOGUE
AT SAN QUENTIN.
A Visit to that Institution, and q
Talk with Prison Officials About
the Treatment of Prisoners.

of crime and the reformation of criminals
is a subject that has engrossed the thoughts
and baffied the efforts of the wisest states
men and profoundest thinkers of every
age. Penology is a science, and one that
very few men possess the natural ability,
or rather talent, to attain proficiency in
1t requires a deep insight into human
nature, keen sense of justice, an inhex-
ible will, and, above all, the power of
commanding respect and maintaining au-
thority. In fact the man who exercises a
controlling influence for good over the
criminal class must possess the faculty Of
convincing them that he is both their
master and friend.
Brute force may coerce them into discip-
line; severity may terrify them into
obedience, but such methods Will never
reform them. Neither win mistaken kind
ness or leniency, and the most essential
qualifications for penologist are strict
sense Of justice and the power of deter
mining when to be severe and when to be
lenient.
These thoughts were suggested by re-
cent visit to San Quentin State Prison,
where was kindly offered every facility
for thoroughly inspecting the management
Of the institution and interviewing the
prisoners, many CT whom, am convinced,
viii, under the iudicious training they are
now receiving, soon become reputable
members Of society.
Leaving San Francisco at an early hour,
proceeded by steamer TO Sausslito and
thence to San Quentin, where | at once
presented my letter Of introduction to the
Deputy Warden, Captain Benjamin
Chambers, who accorded me a very kind
reception, and upon learning the object of
my visit Immediately delegated an officer
of the establishment to conduct me through
the jute mill, door factory, carpenter
shop and other departments inside the
walls; in all of which | was most favor
ably impressed by the orderly conduct and
cheerful industry of the convicts.,,
Upon my return to the front gate
/ accepted Captain Chambers invi-
tation to accompany him in stroll
through the outside grounds and feeling
deeply Interested in the subject gladly
listened to his views or pc1olaev. which !
now give as near as possible Ill MS own
words: Next to intemperance," said that
gentleman, "idleness is the great cause of
crime; ergo, remove the cause and the
effect ceases. Industry and idleness are
simply habits. The one beneficial and the
other pernicious, and l hold that good
habits may be as easily acquired as bad
ones, and acting on that hypothesis do all
in my power to inculcate habits of in
dustry among those under my control My
first step with new arrival is to learn all
! possibly can about his antecedents, and
long experience in such matters enables
me TO judge pretty accurately as to what
his qualifications are If | find that he
has led an idle, dissolute life and feels
repugnance to all kinds of manual labor, |
set him, in the first instance, at some light
task that won't overtaX his strength or
greatly fatigue him. | then try and in
duce him to take an interest in what he Is
doing by speaking a word of encourage
ment occasionally, or even taking his tools
in my own hands and showing him how to
use them," and the genial Captain held up
for my inspection an arm, the well-de-
veloped muscle of which evidenced that he
was no novice in the art of Singing
heavy pick or long handled shovel him
self, Continuing the conyer sation, he
said:
If find that he is contumacous and
shows no desire to conform to the rules of
the prison, | at once resort to harsher
methods and compel obedience; but the
moment he shows signs of yielding, meet
him half way instead of forcing him to
lower his self-respect and debase his man
hood by cringing and whining to be again
taken into favor, !, fguratively speaking,
take him by the hand and encourage him,
just as would any deserving fellow-crea-
ture | saw struggling manfully against
misfortune III the outer world. and /
have very seldom found the plan to
fail. OF course, | occasionally meet
with thoroughly vicious and de-
prayed natures, who are entirely
unsusceptible to kindness, and to such men
am simply their jailer and master, but
whenever prisoner shows a desire to re-
form do all in my power to assist him
and bring whatever good qualities he may
possess TO the surface. No matter who he
may be his treatment while under my
charge is strictly in accordance with his
deserts. Whether he belongs to the high
est or lowest grades of society is imma-
terial. | simply regard him as an atom of
humanity, more or less diseased, which it
IS my duty to return to society in as
healthy state as possible"
Then, Captain" | observed, "you cen
slider crime as a disease and treat it ac-
cordingly."
Well, partly so though l would rather
class 1t as habit. We all inherit criminal
instincts in a greater or less degree, which
are fostered and encouraged, or controlled
and keptin allegiance, by habits which are
subsequently acquired. Thus, iudicious
training in early youth will incuIcate hab-
its of morality, industry, honesty, temper
anoe, etc, that under favorable cireun-
stances outgrow or overcome our evil pro-
pensities, but seldom entirely eradicate
them. Some germ of the curse fingers in
most natures, and if not carefully guarded
Is liable to break forth at any moment.
How otherwise can we account for the fact
that many who for years lead what nav
almost be called immaculate lives, sud
denly comR,it some atrocious crime, when
those whom society has regarded as saints
instantly develop into demons? Now if
crime Is, as some assert, entirely disease.
could person who had never exhibited
any symptoms of the disease instantly
catch 1t IN its most virulent form?
The same is applicable to insanity. a
great mental shock will often overthrow
reason in an instant, but if We investigate
such cases it viii generally be found that
the germs of insanity were previously
rooted in the mind thus unbalanced.
And so 1t Is with crime; the propensity
for evil or what is,so aptly called natural
eussedness, exists in all natures and with
the best OF us is eniy held in subjee.ion by
the good habits We have acquired and by
neglecting those coed habits and allowing
them to lose their strength and yigo-. we
afford room and opportunity for the evil
that Is in us to gain irmer root. aud il
keeps gradually growing and acquiring
strength until at last some unexpected
circumstance or sudden temptation calls il
forth and the world is astonished to learn
what devils we are.
Now, as the only method TO Geek the
growth of noxious weeds is to cultivate the
soil and sow good seed, SO the only wav to
check crime is to cultivate the mind by
intoxicating good habits and Stimulating
their growth. Perhaps my explanation Of
the system which General McComb and
mpself are endeavoring to test is not suf-
ficiently lucid for you to thoroughly un-
derstand, but dare say you viii be able
to grasp my meaning
II ic r,arfa,.1,- II -. IL