The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-10-02
saltwater, Minn, Thursday, OCT. z, 1890.
FIVE Gents.

OF inmates can be made-the refOrmable by them.
selves, and the unreformable but non.viscious,
and the viscious and incorrigible each by them.
selves. None should be released unless
formed as to be able to remain orderly. Inquiry
as to crime by grand juries. and on trial under
charges of crime in court should be to discover
the whole truth, as we'll as to establish innocence
as guilt The prosecutor should be sworn as to
his duties, as the grand jurors are, and endeavor
in each trial to disclose the truth as far as
possible instead of bending every energy to con-
vict. So the grand inquest should "diligently in
quire.' not on the side of guilt only but for the
whole truth; for the suspected accused
titled to justice as much as every other person in
the peace of the state, and inquiry only as to
side will not enable it to present the whole truth.
as its oath requires. No "presumptions" should
exist except such arises from established facts
The presumption that the accused is innocent
until proven to be guilty, irresstibly raises the
presumption that the accusation is false, and the
anomaly follows as logic that the state is seeking
to convict and put under penalties one of its
citizens presumed to be innocent on a charge pre-
sumed to be false. All technicalties that obstruct
or hinder full and free inquiry into the exact
truth should be swept away. The prosecutor
wins his case" when the truth acquits under
victs and his duty is to try to discover the
truth. If he acquts or convicts in doing that. he
vindicates the justice of the law. which is his
sworn duty. After twenty-four hours of delibera
ton the agreement of nine Jurors should constitute
a verdict. All state boards of charities should
have judicial power and rank with courts. The
idea of punishment and fixed terms in prison
should be abolished. and arrest conviction and
incarceration until fitted to 60 at large for life
if unfit, should be the rule. In the prisons any
and all kinds of labor should be carried on that
may be for the best interest of the state and the
inmates, and they should labor for the benefit of
the state. There should be system for identif
cation of convicts uniform throughout the nation
and under national recognition as is the surrender
of fugitves from justice, with a central office to
which courts and officials in charge Of criminals
can apply for descriptive lists where it is impor.
tant to establish identity. Some constitutional
provisions, proper when made, but not now needed
should be abolished. Criminal laws should be
plain and so framed as to prevent msconstruction,
and so formulated, published and executed as to
inspire confidence and respect in the people.
Confidence because they embody the elements of
justice. respect because when executed they
compllsh the ends of justice. There many
other reforms suggested.
REPORT ON PRISON DISCIPLINE.
consider labor the ground work of any prison
discipline which shall be of benefit to the pris-
oner. AS the larger proportion Of our inmates
are young mer, it is very important that these
young men should be trained in habits of in.
dustry. and character formed. so that their ref.
ormation upon their discharge is not only pos.
sible, but probable.
To all humane people it is horrible to think of
locking up young men in idleness from two to ten
years and then turning them out upon society to
again return to evil courses and again to prison.
1t seems to me that we'll characterize this when
say that it is a crime-a crime against the pris.
oner and wrong to society.
The labor men and in fact many theorists upon
prison matters. claim that labor of prisoners
means competition with free labor.
Let me say right here that whatever the COM
petition may be, the prisoner has the right of
competition As one of the most prominent
prison writer's of England sad
EVERY prisoner has right to fare share of
competition with free labor. He had right to
it before he became prisoner. and when in
prison the Taxpayers, who support him, have ad-
dltional claim upon his labor. And further. con-
| sidering the previous neglected training of many
criminals. it is due to them that they should be
instructed in some means of livelihood, if pos
sible. when they come under detention. 1t is
those unjust tyrants the selfish demagogues. that
are so apt to be the worstof all despots who
deny oppose these natural and moderate
rights of prisoners and of their tax-paying sup
porters."
1t seems absurd for anyone to argue. that the
criminal classes should be permitted to live in
idleness at the expense of the wage-earners and
the Taxpayers. 1t is indeed curious theory that
would remove the curse "that man should earn
his bread by the sweat of his BROW from the
criminal and keep it in force for the honest man.