The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-05-30

Minn,W

all rules l am, say, sentenced to one year;
at the expiration of ten months and five
days am informed that my past error has
not entitled me to all of my good time. |
have forfeited so much and must stay SO
many days more in order to pay for my
error" DO you honestly think | will 20
out of this prison with stronger resolution
to reform by such treatment. than | would
if had been granted all OF my good time?
OF course this Is SuppOStiOn, yet it is
practically the mode of marking in the
Elmira reformatory. They tell one, "you
must be perfect" infraction of rules may
not be met with punishment at all times.
but it invariably counts against you in your
term of Imprisonment. Out of 1873 inmates
for the year ending Sep. 1, 1887 there were
but 26S who reached the first or probation
ary grade; and out of that number but 80
gained their advance within the minimum
period (siX mOnthS) being but slight
fraction over one third.
Taking the statistics as furnished con-
cerniRg the two methods which have taken
exceptions to, any fair-minded person can
readily see that there must be defect that
sadly needs to be corrected. do not pre-
tend to assert that all the inmates put their
shoulders to the wheel and faithfully per-
form their duties | know there are many
who try to demonstrate their independence
and run things according to their own ideas;
but do assert that a system OF discipline
that can show no more success from actual
statistics than the Elmira refOrmatOry gives
us. proves beyond question the unnecessary
severity of the one and the absurdity of the
other. These are two of the needed reforms
which l earnestly trust the state will seri-
Ously consider.
Now. let us look at some of the advant-
ages of the refOrmatOry. In every prison one
can fairly estimate four different grades of
criminals. First, those who are under
going their first term, who have, previous
to committing the act which sent them there.
been honest law-abiding men. Second,
those who have been in the habit of aSsO
cating with questionable characters, and
while they have never come within the
reach of the law by their actions, yet the in
tluence of corrupt associations at last paves
the road to the commission of a felony and
term of Imprisonment. Third those who
through continual association with the
criminal classes aspire to become famous
in that vocation, but who are still capable
of being brought to realization of their
condition. and eventually reformed.
Fourth, those who are old veterans in the
vast army of criminals, who ScOrn a man
who is not thorough bred thief, or thug,
or who cannot lay claim to having done"
his man.
Under the present system Of prison man
agement the first offender is placed on a
level with the confirmed criminal. One has
equally as many privileges as the other (Or
is supposed to have.) 1t is unnecessary to
recite the many evils of such system; they
are too well known and have been demon
strated by far abler writer's than | am. The
''refOrmatOry" was instituted as means of
separating these classes 1t has in a great
measure done SO. A man is put to mechan
ical labor with a view of learning him a
practical source of employment that will
afford him an opportunity to earn an honest
living on his release. The school aims to
educate the young man in the necessary
course of study. and make him better fit
ted, intellectually, to combat with the world.
A system OF moral training is also adopted
with view of raising his moral character
to the point wherein he can realize the vast
amount of genuine happiness not to speak
of the respect of worthy people, that he
can gain by forever abandoning evil habits
and associations. These three methods will
do more to help susceptible young man to
reform if they are properly applied. The
question of ''hOw to best apply such meth
OdS," is far from being answered to the full
satisfaction of the majority who are deeply
interested in the matter OF reformation.
The greater number of prison refOrmers
heartily indOrse the plan of a refOrmatOry,
in order to institute system Of grades
among criminals. and many of the skeptical
ones still hang on to the old theory that sever