The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-10-30
Prison Reform Work.


This is what is known as Prison Sun
day." The excellent idea was evolved
some time ago of so designating one Sunday
in the year on which the attention OF the
public should be especially directed to the
subject of the treatment and reform of Of
tenders against the law. And there is
plenty to think and talk about. For prison
reform work is still in its infancy. With
all that has been done in this direction,
hard work and good work which none will
undervalue. we have barely touched the
surface of the vast problem suggested by
the relations of the criminal to the nom
criminal population. We have abolished
the horrible features of the prison of
century ago, we have cleanSed our jails,
and built. here and there. reformatOry.
But We have to fight hard to secure the an
pOintment of matrOn to city institutions
where female offenders are brought in bv
the police. We cOnfine together. in most
instances, during detention for trial. the in
nocent and the guilty. the hardened adult
and the boy who is taken up for his first Of
Tense. And we maintain, right here in the
city of st. Paul, a lock up which both police
and people unite in branding as disgrace
upon any civilized community.
While these things are true. the great
difficulty is to know where to begin in the
still inchOate work OF a reform of the
prison system. The great encouragement
is the awakened interest of the people. and
the fact that the intelligent portion of them
have now accepted the idea that the first
object Of the Imprisonment of criminals
should be their reform; not merely from
the phianthrOpic point Of view. and for the
benefit of the law breaker but for the pro-
lection of society. in order that it be not
again exposed to assaults from the same
source of danger. With this general prin-
ciple in mind. there are two points which
will bear special emphasis at the present
time. and both have local application.
1t is much more profitable for us to con-
slider exactly what we ourselves ought to do
at this moment than to eXpatiate on fine
general rules which will leave us in com
Portable and undisturbed enjoyment of our
own failures of duty. The first is more
general distinction between the new offender
and the hardened criminal. 1t is the COM
parative immunity of the latter in which
the former finds encouragement to pursue
the course he has begun. 1t has been
pointed out that our own local courts i'm
pose sentences too brief upon petty offend
ers. The same person for the same Offense
is sent up for thirty or ninety days at
time, only to como back again until his face
grows almost as familiar as those of the Of
ticerS of the courts. A cumulative increase
of punishment should be the rule; and re-
form efforts may we'll begin at the essential
point of distinguishing between the man
who has chosen a life of crime voluntarily,
and upon whom effort is practically wasted,
and him to whom temptation or opportu-
nifty has come too suddenly to be resisted
Another thing worthy of our attention is
suggestion contained in recent number
of The PRISON MIRROR. that there should
be local prison association in every city
and town in which there is prison of any
Importance. Society, as a rule ~ contents
itself with efforts at reform only while the
offender Is Stillin, custody. As soon aSshiS
term is finished, he is once more thrown
upon his own resources; and these are apt
to be quite as slender morally as physically.
The day of discharge is critical time for
most men who have been in confinement.
The majority Of them, probably. sink back
with but very little effort into the old ways,
and are all the more dangerous for the ex-
perience through which S they have, passed.
An association which should, spend some
money and a good deal of, individual effort
in looking after discharged offenders would
do3a great iphilanthropic work, y This is one
of the excellent features of the reformat0ry
and the parole system Il But that fapplies
only TO small fraction of thu men n BIO are |
turned, loose. from jajls, and .penitentiaries
every year. and for these latter there should
be local supervision and local assistance 4
Prison reform moves ia5t0gatherIto0 slowly,
~tiledhamMfs nature issgettmg rid ofsits in 4