St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-21
ST. CLOUD REFoRMaToRy.


is scarcely time yet to tell how much of
a success it is destined to be. 1t is
true the institution is modelled after
the Elmira reformatory, which has won
the admiration of modern day reform
ers. The Elmira institution possesses
some advantages which the one at st.
Cloud cannot hope to enjoy for long
time yet, if ever. Among these may be
included liberal appropriations, which
the great and wealthy state Of New
York is more able and more willing to
make than the purse-pinched and tax
burdened state of Minnesota can or
will do.
A visit to the st. Cloud reformatory
during the past week, and careful in
veStigation into the methods employed
there, and an inquiry into the results of
the first years administration of Supt.
MYERS furnished encouragement to the
belief that the new prison method is
superior to the old in many respects.
And yet it retains some of the abuses
belonging to the old. and which will
probably be retained as long as any
system of solitary confinement continues
It's place III Our penal c0de.
The reformatory building is a credit
to the state, and enjoys the singular
distinction of being about the only pub
lie building in the state that is first
class in construction and in all its ap-
pointments. The building sits on an
eminence on the east side OF the river,
overlooking the city of st. Cloud, and
81 oil
rounding country can be had. In time,
when the grounds have been properly
improved and when the additional
necessary buildings have been erected,
the reformatory site will be made a
charming spot. This is a new feature
i'll prison building, for the old idea was
to make prison as repulsive-looking as
possible.
The construction of the building itself
ings to be found in the Northwest. The
best methods for ventllating, heating
and lighting have been introduced. The
air is as sweet and the interior aspect
as cheerful as is to be found in the Or
binary home. There is every appear
ance of neatness and cleanliness in the
dining hall and cook room. Instead of
the rough board table and the serving
OF vlctualS in tin dishes, as is the COM
mon practice in prison dining halls. a
clean white cloth is spread on the table,
earthenware dishes are provided, chairs
are set at the table. and the meal is
served in pretty much the same way as
would be done in the ordinary boarding
house.
This way of treating human beings as
human beings, and of relieving convicts
of the unnecessary humiliation so fire.
quently imposed, is calculated to soften
rather than to harden the criminal. The
sleeping apartments are a decided i'm
provement on the customary prison cell.
They are larger and lighter; in fact,
each apartment is about as large and
as comfortable as some of the bed rooms
in hotels which pass for first-class.
There is nothing unnecessarily ornate
about the cells or dormitories, but they
are altogether comfortable.
Chapel services and school exercises
are important features of the reforma-
tory discipline. There are night schools
which all the convicts are required to
attend, where the course of instruction
is about the same as in the common free
schools. The school exercises are sus-
pended every Wednesday night, when a
lecture or some other profitable enter
tainment is substituted. There is a free
library to which the convictS have ac-
cess, and are permitted to have certain
hours to themselves for reading and
study.
The graded system is another impor-
tant feature in the reformatory work.
There are three grades. and the grade
to which the convict belongs can be dis
tinguished by the style of his clothes.
When admitted to the reformatory each
! convict is assigned to the second grade,
and is thus given the opportunity to
work up OF down according to his am
bitiOn and department.. If he passes
the first month without a black mark
against him be is promoted to the first
grade, and yemainS there as long as his
department is good. If he belongs to
the first grade and is guilty of a gross
breach of dis cipline he is reduced to
one OF the lower grades. according to
the enOrmity of his offense, and must
have six months clear record before
he can be restored to the first grade.
COnvicts Of the first grade are accorded
more privileges and enjoy more bene-
hts than those of the lower grades.
After a continuous service in the
hrst grade for certain length
OF time, they are released on
parole, which is virtual suspension
of their sentence and restoration to
citizenship. Convicts of the first grade
receive 121s cents day for their labor:
convicts of the second class receive 9
cents per day, while convicts of the
third grade get nothing and are sub
lected to harSher treatment than the
others. This system has been adopted
to stimulate the convicts to better de-
pertinent, and thus facilitate the work
of reformation which is sought to be ac-
complished. The wisdom of ii is too
apparent to need discussion.
In other respects the reformatory dis
cipline is pretty much the same as in
other prisons. And in some of the par
'ticulars we are of opinion the discipline
is unnecessarily rigorous. Of course
there have to be bars and keys and
guards and walls where convicts are
confined. But we fail to see why the
element of sociability should be wholly
excluded from reformatory institution
where the design is to educate youthful
criminals up to the proper standard of
manhood. We think it to be in contra
vention of the purposes of reforma-
tory to isolate the convicts and to forbid
them from holding conversation with
each other. In fact, this feature of or
binary prison discipline seems to be a
cruelty that cannot be justified even by
the danger which prison managers ap-
prehend of the formation of conspira-
cies between prisoners. The tongue
is the one member of the hui
man body which has the inner
ent GOd-giyen right to wap of