New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-08
IN THE TRENTOs PBEITsETILKY
PRISONERS WHO ABE WELL CARED FOR
SOME EFTECTs or TIM NEW MANAoEMKST OF
KKEPER PATTERSON - THE PRISON NIGRT

AhHThu FAaihhsoN - IhE PRISON MIGHT
SCHOOL
srRESroS, Feb. John Fl. Patterson Of Mon
mouth County, appointed keepsr of the New
Jersey State Prison here after the impeachment and
conviction Of Keeper Laverty. Mr. Patterson had held
q number Of public Offices and we'll known through
out the State He made himself familiar with all the
details of the entire institution before he made
changes. He found that the chief trouble want
Of proper discipline The plan Of having women con-
vics Gil the places OF servants In the keepers house
had led 10 the downfall OF the former Keeper Mr.
Pattersons first move TO issue order that all
the women prisoners to be kept confined within
the walls Of the wing set apart for them. Mrs.
Patterson woman Of sound Judgment. made the
matron Of the female derartm ont. Under her direction
the women taught to cut and make garments
They make all the prison uniforms and patch and
darn the old ones Under the new rules the women
convicts contented and less troublesome
that at any other time in the history Of he prison
Keeper Patterson decided that he could govern
the male convicts better by treating Them fairly and
kindly than by nfictng cruel punisbments upon them
When no became keeper OF the favorite modes OF
punishment for unruly prisoners was The use OF mo
machine known as "66" This IS the machine IN
which disobedient prisoners are suspended by the
thumbs The late General Mott who was keeper Of
the prison for several ran the institution upon
military rules Under his administration prisoner
was killed by the "66' machine Mr. Patterson
abolished this mode Of punishment and with marked
result for good.
The men prisoners were formerly fed in the lower
.r'td"rs ~ the several Prison wings Th's pah
caused constant trouble. As soon az the prisoners
were marcped ~ ~ rfrrlto ~ serei a. I'M cong
tables they would begin pickering among themselves
These differences frequently led to uproars and blows
One prisoner would look Mt the ratons OF the prs-
oner near him. II one ration little larger than
all complaints
favoritism Mr.. Patterson set the carpenter force
of the Institution to work making lot OF little tables
Gre was fast snet rh- Tbei ot each cell NOW
the prisoners fed in their cells. few moments
before hey leave their work In the shops the prison
cooks and their as. ants place tie Ions In The cells
and when the prisoners in each one goes to his
proper cell and eata his food. There no COM
plants and no wrangles. After entering the prison
the visitor passes the keepers Offices and IA shown
through a big iron door to tho curious apartment
known as "the centre' From the centre tho
wings of the prison stick ont like spoles from hub
Here the prisoners are allowed to their friends
In tho presence OF deputy Keeper
prisoner who "a III has injured
himself while at work in the shops, comes at once
to the centre.' He IS questioned by deputy
keeper and then sent to the drug room on the second
floor Of the last wing where he is attended by Dr.
Kelley. Any prisoner who is smarting from an al
legged wrong inflicted by OF the deputy keepers
shop foreman has the right TO go TO the centre
and call for Keeper Patterson. At all hours Mr..
Patterson Is ready TO these compliments He
carefully and thoroughly investigates their COM
plants and Il an officer IS fault he is promptly
brought to book II the prisoner is to blame ne is
counseled In a kind manner and Is told to resume
work This hod has worked well and the prison
ers feel that they have good treatment at al
times.
MIR Patterson s'srted a tight school some months
ago for the prisoners II is In one OF the wings
The prisoners aught reading, writing arithmetic
and spelling on four evenings each week The
room is fitted up With pine wood desks and stools.
TWO OF the prisoners act Is teachers. one of them
speak English. German, French Spanish and Ital-
sn huently. The prisoners range from faxeu- haired
boys OF sixteen TO gray-hared men old enough to be
their glandfaihe hers. This school Is doing a great
amount Of good. Some OF the prisoners werc ugly
and Gnruy before the school started. They werc
constantly in hot with the keepers and were
always pickering with their fellow prisoners. Since
they began attending the little schoO their natures
have undergone a marked change. In most
cases no complains nave been made against them
since they first entered the schOOi-roOm. They de-
vote all their spare time to reading and writing and
are making marked advancement In their studies
There is a colOred man. John Brisco in the school
who Is undergoing his ninth term OF Imprisonment In
the Institution. lie has spent The most Of the last
tV euty five IN that prison lie was surIy and
was constantly trouble with che kee and his
fellow -cUnvicts. tie did uot know his i-trr> WIN
he entered no school lie able 10 read and write
a little and Is advancing RAPIDLY. sEce his name
enrolled a scholar. his conduci has mDr"ved that
he rot been censured Ali in he Sh the
school One Of The features Of the school !" the good
order which prevails. jerry L. Price mr. scholar
who did not know his letters learned to real
and write Inside - two mOnihs. lie wrfts rnr com
mercIs hand joseph williams who did not know hs
letters has made rapid prog ESQ. lie Can Odd AID
and spell the difficult words. John BOoZ -
aro0cr remarkable s'elier Michael f1tIse aid no
Is hy OF did not know his lslsrs when
he Joined the school Tte reads a,d sWsiis ~ell.
and IS becoming good penman There are thfee
young Italians who cannot converse In e gish out
they read d write II In good stvle. Nearly one
Of the scholars have advanced bevond TIE books
In In The school. They are exceedingly proud Of
The know.idgc they havs acquired and exhibit their
copy books with great pride. .
One of the scholars has started a dictionary in his
sell When he hears a word he writes 1t down
on slip 0f paper. He then asks a deputy Keeper
what n means He writes down the meaning opposite
the evening he studies These slips for An hour or
His unique dictionary now consists OF about 500
words.
samnel Francisco IL one Of the mdfc-aged prison.
srs who has learned TO read and write well His wife
5 an Inmate o the wom"n's wing Mrs. Patterson
nas stared school for the women convcts They.
)ren taught to read and write. She and her
husband are writing their own letters TO
each other for RI" first time In their lives
Under rho old management the armed guards who
watched the prison AZ night occupi-d lttt" sentry
boxes the prison ward. n was easy for prisoner
70 annroarh the hOVAs and surprise the guards Keeper
Patterson has abolished these lt'le and stationed
the guards In towers the prison walls The entire
prison kept in the hest OF order hit II Is terribly
overrrowded hill providing for the erertton ~ the
new wing sadly needed has been detated several
times IN the state legislature Tho sanitary CONDITION
OF he prison perfect Thr death rate vas formerly
about two a month No deaths have occurred within
the last eight months There over 300 prisoners
In the institution