The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-08-03

Warden Pattern Views st q,
PrisOa CongresB.
lLs1isviIis Post.
Capt. James B. P.tteu, Warden or III
Indiana State Prison South q Jefferson
willie. has returned from the meeting o
the Prison Congress Of the United States
held last week 10 Boston. Mas Capt
Patten gave his Views on the manage
Iment Of prisons. and his ideas wers dis
Icussed and quoted very fully BY The Con
gress and boston newspapers. Capt
Pstien believes in treating convicts liz,
Iordinsry men. He contends that only I
small proportion Of the convicis in hi,
iprison belong 20 what be calls the "crimi.
|nal clsss-" This 10 the class Of men ~ bc
lsre naturally criminals both hereditary
land iustinctively. The others are men
who get into prison through unfortu.
Inate circumstances. He has had Rreal
success 10 managing both classes and bs
Igsve the result Of bis system to the -.
|eembled prison managers Capt. Pstten
has habit Of talking 10 the convicts nm
der him and placing confidence in them
|in various wsys. The former Warden
|of this prison treated the men with Rresi
|severity. a convicts word was good
for nothing. IL one convict assaulted
another and the guard did not see it
there va no punishment for the Offend
Ter, because Il VAS rule not 10 believe :
jconvict under any circumstances. Now,
: convict's complaints are listened 70 and
be 10 treated moro With . view Of re-
forming him than making him : perma-
Inent ouicast Capt Patten believes that
Ichaplains Of prisons are not solely The
zones through which reforms are brought
about In fact be takes very little stock
lIn chaplains. He talks 70 the convicss
|himseIf on Sundays, and gives them
come whoIesome, practical advice about
how 70 get along here, and leaves the
thereafter 70 the Sunday school teacher
land The preacher. The success OF bis
lmsnagement IL shown forcibly II the
lease Of this prison. When be took Il
ishe State was losing about ozOOO Z
month Now it pays its own expense
and turns . surpius into the State treas-
ury, beside making vast improvements.
The chapel has been rebuilt and the
whole institution repsinfed, pspered and
IcIeened- II Is estimated that two cart
loads Of bed bugs were taken out OF the
go cells when the clean.ag I'D was 70
Tag o.. a new bath house has been
Ibutlt II which forty coovicts can bsthe
Iat time. A private bath oon has been
built for the guards. also : new dining.
room. The convicts have good beds 20
sleep on and wholesome f,od 10 eat, and
that they are contented With their rough
Iot is evidenced BY the fact that since the
new management took charge not con-
vict has escaped.
The Prison South wss regarded for .
long time - the most miserable iustifu-
Ition Of the kind north Of the Ohio. Il Is
now one Of the best Tt had been for
wears run at : loss 10 the State. both m
der Republican and Democratic rule "a
Indiana. The ONCE Of Warden was re-
|Rarded q one OF the best-payfng politi-
|csl oilces. Ali the offal was fed 20
hogs owned BY the Warden, and the
money kept BY him. Nov il il fed 70
State hogs, which are sold and the
money converted into NE treasury.
Goods are purchased under the con-
tract system. and not at private sale.
|snd the saving has bssn immense.
Warden Pstten tries 70 make c0nvicts'
lives more eudurabIe by allowing them
10 have amUsements Of various kinda.
They have band. : singing school and
ell the reading matter they want The
money which visitors paw for Roin9|
the institution 10 given % the,
library fund. Heretofore Il was never
accounted for and the library was veryI
poor. Convicts can take any newspaper|
they like. Prcachers and priests or aIl|
denominations ore allowed 70 hold ser-
vices 10 the chapel.
Capt. Patten says be learned great
deal Of valuable information In regard fo|
prisons while Ia attendance q the Con-
gress. He will endeavor to place these
improvements IN operation at HE prison.
He says it b highly complimentary tol
the American people that the lesding|
thinker take % much interest IN car
Ing Tor tho criminal classes. This is|
particularly % in 'he East where MANY
philanthropists devote much time and
money 70 the study of Improvement oil
prisons and the reformation OF fnmafes|
thereof. Capt PAtten was in pris0n|
once himselfin Libby during the war.
and he hes therefore some idea ofhow|
it feels to Be II prison.
The Prison South has now nearly GOO!
convicts, nearly al or whom srs q work.
and the death rate has decreased until
deaths except from consumption ere now
: rars thing.