The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-04-18
Injustice to Boys.

Editor Mirror:
AS the majority of the young folks have
at one time or another expressed themselves
through the columns of THE MIRROR,
thought perhaps that you would not con-
slider it improper for one who has hitherto
been silent to make a few remarks; and
being aware of my inability to cope with
the subject l have tackled. | trust your
readers will kindly overlook any defects in
my composition or any grammatical mistakes
| am likely to make. l will conine my re.
marks to the glaring injustice of sentences,
as seen in here. and also to the cases of
boys as distinguished from the older prison
erS. and will take my case as an example.
[ was one of the six boys-our ages all
ranging from IA to 16-whO were arrested
and tried in Minneapolis on the charge of
grand larceny. Three of our number
pleading guilty were sentenced to the state
reform school by the court: the remaining
three of us standing trial were proven
simply to have been in their company at
the time of their arrest, and nOtwthstand-
ing the fact that they swOre OH oath that
we were in no way connected with the rob-
berry, we were found guilty by the jury and
afterwards sentenced to five years in the
penitentiary. Now. the question is. why
were we not sent to the reform school in
stead of being forever disgraced with the
name of convict? All of us were nearly of
the same age, and while the acknowledged
guilty are punished by the penalty given in
the case of boys, we were compelled to I'M
dergO the severest punishment the law can
inhict, for the simple reason that we asked
the court to prove us guilty. If, as they
say, they seek but to reform us and teach
us to aspire to be honest and respectable
citizens when we grow up. why do they
condemn lis to years of grinding impriSOn-
ment? Who teaches or impresses lis in
what direction the channels of our thoughts
should run. and why do they sentence us SO
heavily? Is not our youth to be considered?
If So why hold us responsible for all the
Inconsistencies OF our youth? Will the
state of Minnesota be gamer by throwing
us into prison and forcing us to enter man
hood with the shame of our youth ever
staring us in the face? Not content with
sending us here they must in their vindic-
tlveneSS sentence us to longer period of
years than is generally given to profess
sOnal criminal. Would not one or two
years be sufficient for us as it is for those
twice as old as we are? And who should
know better than we do.
1t is plain that every advantage is taken
OF boy. simply because he has not the
money to fee the lawyers and tell the wit
neSseS what to say. Do you suppose we
would have ever come here if we had beel
possessed of money and friends? Oh. no.
Our mothers would have been told to take
Us home and look after us in the future.
But we were in strange land and had
neither. and that accounts for our present
condition. We were in a strange country
without money or friends. | think that
should awaken the sympathy of any fair
minded man. Why not give us an oppOr-
tunity to reclaim ourselves? 1t lies within
the power of the state to make or mar our
future career. Why set lis at war with So
ciety and make us feel that we are despised
by every law abiding citizen? DO you sup
pose that we will be any better after spend
ing the best part of our lives III here and
burdened with all the approbrium and sus-
piciOn attached to the name of eX- convict?
| will leave it to any person possessed of
common sense to decide. Is there anything
to be expected of us in the way of a re-
formed and better life? The state should
send the youngest prisoners where some
care can be taken of their morals, as we'll
as the security of the boy. We are simply
told to behave ourselves and that constitutes
Oo! al A"il'hS III ouI pIcnohI qudI CeIS.
1t is true we are not learning crime as we
are now situated; neither are we being in
structed in anything that will be of any
benefit to us on our release.
In conclusion, want to ask, can the
state expect boy to become all upright
citizen when it deprives him of the means
to reclaim himself? l aswer, Judging by
myself and few more that know, with
simple lit should not expect it,"
Nj. B.