Telegram-herald., 1889-10-04
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.
Visss sf w-raea s4tsh-Gises His Ex-
PsFtsEcs z41d 0giatoa


PsFtsEcs 41d 0Piatoa-
The rot1nda u the Morton vas nIled
WITH Distinguished visitors Lzst evening,
and l4fge number OF the onicals OF
the State ,enal and charitable institu-
tons were present. Seeing Warden
Hstch, OF tbs Jackson State prison,
siIL.ng Al0n. TELEsEAA-HEzALD re-
porter engaged am Ii conversation ia
regard - TIE ordinary treatment OF
criminals n their charge.
''fhe Peop.s," sad ne, seem % for
get tnat = warden and a keeper las
rgnts Ia the prison as Weu as the
criminal Taey are Ia Z fughtfUl
minority shut I'D, az they are WITH lot
~ dangerous men, ana although they
are heavily armed. the prisoners are
supplied with tools and = concerted
outbreak would quickly OyerpoSer the
guards and. IN some instances Il has
Deen one. When 4 prisoner proves re-
tfactOry Ee argue WITH him, appeal 70
lls PRIDE ana point out 10 him tie ben
ents and nidulgences 10 Dc gained by
obedience II, after thorough tral,
Jhs fails, Se proceed 70 coercion, but
TINS We DO with reluctance, as We then,
10 a certain extent, lose our mold upon
nlm. / hold nrmiy TO this principle,
tnat retrlbuuve or exemplary punish.
menL - entirely wrong, bat correctional
punishment IS necessary and It
Is right. IL must Oe carried 10
the correctional point and there
stop. Ine rewards OF good conduct
as PracIlced IN the Jackson prison
are yard privileges, unlock or the
privilege or attending meetings, lights.
corr 5 JOndence, papers, visits ana the
I privilege OF wearing the gray suit. For
7 oreacnes or discipline these are one by
one Withdrawn. the gray suit IS changed
20 the stripes, then restriction OF food 4,
SOLITARY confinement and for e1traOrdl-
nary and continuous insubOrdination
corpora: punishment Is employed a. a
+ dernler resort. Every prison not EN-
/ plOylng corporal punishment uses soh-
tary confinement as a substitute, and
that Is utterly demoTallZng and Debas-
ing 20 the mind. The profession OF
treating and controlling criminals re-
/ qulres an endless amount OF study
and tact. Men who follow the buSl-
ness conclenhously for a number OF
years become experts.
Experience teaches them 10 punish
the criminal and not the crime, and 10
treat a man according TO his general
conduct and not for each individual
act.
"In California the legislature passed q
law fOroidding corporal punishment
But il was afterward repealed. In one
Of the prisons was an incorriglble
ruttian and desperate, who at the
slightest opportunity would attack the
keepers and his fellow prisoners and
stab or dangerously wound them before
he could be prevented. He was con
fined for two and a half years N the
solitary and was regarded as simply a
human tiger. The State board called
TO investigate the matter and not one
OF them dared TO lead the man out OF
his cell. The wardens wrote TO the
various wardens all over the country
for advice. The legislature re-
pealed the law and the man
became obedient under corporal
punishment. Punishment that would
be brutal and Inhuman IN most cases
would not be so in others, and 1t can
not be called so when il becomes q ne.
cesslty. Wardens learn by experience
When | first took charge of jackson
; prison | found 1t necessary TO lntilct
frequent punishment, now | do not
Last week | ordered man TO corporal
punishment, and that is the first one in
over year The brutality and inhu-
manity of punishment in the past ha:
been done away with, but the pendu
lum is now swinging clear across TO q
maudlin sympathy. 4 warden is sim
Dlya physician who, while he has dan
gerous people IN custody, must try tC
correct and cure their dangerous ten
denotes. Crime is like dis
ease, and wardens are liable TO erl
as 10 their manner of treatment
Ii a physician is guilty of malpractice
the charge is proved by the testimony
of expert physicians. The case on trla
in the United States Court is one of ex
actly this sort. 1t IS impossible for one
who is uuskilled in the treatment o.
criminals TO say whether this punish
ment vas brutal or inhuman, without
understanding the exigencies of th'
case. Ii 1t is case Of professional NAL
practice on the part of the defendant
experts Of the same profession snoulC
be put upon the stand, have the case II
AL its bearings stated to them, and lie
the court and the jury have the benef
of their opinion, backed by their year:
OF experience"