The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-02-15


| following:
! The Summary is supported mainly one of the
| necessary expenses of conducting the reformatory;
| it is expense account item, not appropriated
for specifically by the legislature because whole
expense account is appropriated for in gross We
have perhaps 500 subscribers at soc. year. 1t is
not intended as a money making enterprise and
only receive this small amount for the paper
in order to pay the cost of paper and INK for that
portion of our issue distributed outside the re-
formatory it goes mostly to the parents and rela-
tives of the inmates. The paper is furnished to
| every inmate in the house Sunday morning,
and constitutes the only newspaper reading they
have; it is furnished them of course gratis. The
mechanical and editorial is all done by inmates.
Supt. Gardiner Tufts, of the Massachu-
sets reformatory, replying to similar ques-
ton. says:
Our Paper has subs cription list, and is print
ed solely for the benefit of the inmates of the
Massachusetts reformatory at the expense of the
state. The cost of labor material ETC.. except the
cost of paper, is paid from the yearly appropria-
ton for current expenses of the reformatory, and
the paper is paid for from the general appropria-
ton for paper for all departments of the state
government. The mechanical work is entirely
that of the inmates and they contribute largely to
its columns, but the editorial work is done by the
superintendent. with occasional article by the
moral instructor, and others. Ii is furnished to
the inmates without cost, and each man has the
privilege of sending his copy home without ex-
pense to himself.
1t will be seen by the above that the
newspapers published at these reformatOr-
les are considered one OF the necessary ex-
penses" of the institutions. and are conduct
ed wholly at the expense of the state with
out any possible return in financial way.
AS the number of inmates in these institu-
tiOns will average between 800 and 1, 900, it
will be seen that the cost of these publica-
.tions cuts no small figure in the yearly eX-
pense account. That the money has been
well and judiciOusly expended is evidenced
by the fact that Our Paper is now in its
forth year and The Summary has reached
the mature age of six years. In this age of
progress and advancement the newspaper is
looked upon, and is, the educator of the
people, and, though we at present can hard
ly be considered of the people. there is no
good reason why the press should not prove
valuable adjunct in educating the inmates
Of our refOrmatories and penitentialies. And
in what more effectual way could this OBJ
ject be attained than by the publication of
papers inside the walls of these institu-
tons?
THE MIRROR has completed its first six
months and has somewhat more than paid
expenses. The public press of the country
has been almost unit in speaking favor
ably of it. 1t is moral and elevating in its
tone. and it cannot be denied that it has been
of great benefit to the inmates The ques-
ton will soon arise as to the necessary funds
for Its support. Heretofore inmates to the
number of 800 have subscribed and some
thing over 400 on the outside, but owing to
the expiration OF contract labor and the con-
seQuent cessation of our good-time money,
no inmate can subscribe unless he is fOrtu-
nate enough to have funds of his own,
which is rarely the case; hence the source
OF nearly one.half of our present income
will be cut off. THE MIRROR is no ex-
ception to other newspapers and no funds
means no paper. Now, THE MIRROR is not
intended for moneymaking concern, but
is printed solely as a great and powerful
means Of doing good to the unfortunates
here, and it remains for the public to say
whether or not it shall accomplish this OBJ
Ject; if so, will you not lend your purse as
well as your voice to further it's success?
that we can furnish THE MIRROR gratis to
every inmate. Let every person who is
honestly interested in this much-monted