Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-11
THE FOLSOM PRISON.
Governor Waterman Says 1t should be-
Made a Reformatory.

Governor Waterman Says 1t Should be
Made a Reformatory.
i see the papers are digging into me
about the Folsom prison." remarked the
Governor to RECORD UNION reporter yes
terday. 81 can stand their abuse, how
ever, for considering the source from which
it emanates, it is not worth noticing. / am
striving to give this State good bust
ness administration. / am neglecting my
private affairs to serve the people, and 1 am
bending every energy to round things up
in good shape. A Governor who attends to
the affairs of State properly, has his hands
full every day in the year and every hour in
the day. The State Prisons of this State
have occupied much of my time l found a
JUTE PLANT AT SAN QUENTIN
That was being operated in the interest of
this State. 1t stood between the grain pro-
ducers of our valleys and the grain bag
rings Being practical business man,
saw no reason why those mills should not
be operated day and night. If it was
good thing, why would not twice as much
of ii be better2 My idea has been carried
into effect and we are now running two
shifts, and if We had more prisoners we
would run three. In order to increase the
force. 1t was necessary to transfer $50
prisoners from Folsom 10 San Quentin, and
they are now earning their bread by the
sweat of their brows making burlaps.
Why all this cry against transferring
prisoners from Folsom 10 San Quentin?
they were earning nothing at the Branch
Prison, the product of their quarry was not
In demand, and it was simply matter of
business to take them TO the point where
fiaev tano r. Al.
keeping.
IN FAVOR OF REFoRMAToRY.
Now / will be plain about this matter
and you can report me as so saying if you
choose. | am in favor of turning the Fol-
som Prison into a reformatory. If there
is treason in that why l will have to suffer
the consequences. This is an age of i'm
provement, but some news-gatherers and
the papers they represent do not seem to
appreciate that fact. California is young
and ambitious State, and l want TO see her
lead and not follow. There is no reason
in the world why she cannot lead every
State in the Union in the reformation of
her youthful criminals. AS said, am in
favor of San Quentin for the State Prison.
We have good one there, and let US work
the hardened criminals in the jute mills,
and make the cost of their maintenance a
mere nominal sum. and, If possible make
the prisons become selfsustaining institu-
tons. In other words, let's manage those
institu ions, not as homes of ease for pen
sioners, but upon strictly business prin-
ciples.
Now, what | am going to advocate is
this: Let us make of the Folsom Prison
reformatory, and place therein the prison
ers under 20 years of age. | would be in
favor of
DIscARDING THE STRIPPED SUITS,
And the rigid prison discipline as much as
possible. Increase the size of the farm TO
1000 ceres, set il out in orchards ard vine
yards. Grow olives and citrus fruits
Beautify Mount Stoneman. Educate the
youths thoroughly, and they will be forced
to realize the errors they have made, and
will go forth into the world at the expira-
ton of their sentences, better men for their
imprisonment, men who can enter society,
the business walks of life, and who will
forever turn their backs upon criminals and
criminal methods. Do this, and you will
constantly have the Folsom Prison full.
1t will separate the trivial offender from
the red-handed murderer; the youthful
transgressor from the hoary headed sinner.
Captain Aull would be Just the man for the
position of Warden of such a reformatory
Now those are my reasons for wanting to
take the workers from Folsom to San
Quentin. l want to knock the grain bag
rings in the head with prison labor, and
thereby benefit the granger. want to
separate the youths from the hardened
criminals, educate them to be somebody
so that when turned out upon the world
again. they can shift for themselves without
having to resort to crime"