The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-06-26

Now, let US 60 back to first principles. to
those unerring laws which nature has
planted in the mind of every thinking be-
ing. In the grand economy of nature there
is no such thing as waste; used up and
damaged material, in one form. is perpetu
ally going through process of trans
formation or reproduction into some
other form. and so is utilized to the
general benefit of the race. What is
our so called criminal population but
collection of valuable material dam
aged or injured by vicious associations.
calamitiOus surroundings, want of develop
ment, miSdirected energies. crushed aspira-
tiOns and disappointed hopes? They come
from all classes of sOciety-the ceaseless
revolutions of times great wheel have
brought members of the senate and legs
lature. social. political and financial mag
mates of every degree ''behind the bars of
the prison house" at one time or the other
and will any one having pretension to
sanity, declare that this wealth of intellect.
moral force, and physical energy is waste
utterly lost and useless? No! thousand
times, no! And yet, when the nineteenth
century with all its advantageS-is in the
last thrOeS of its eXiStence-there is scarcely
penal institution in the American repub
lie. which has not. behind its granite walls
and iron bars, hundreds of such wasted
chaotic lives which, under proper guidance.
would immeasurably enhance the power,
glory, usefulness and prospects of our
great republic. And why is this? Simply
because in our short-sighted. picayune pol
icy, the executives of the various states in
the federal Union. have. in the management
of their penal institutions. neglected to
grade or classify the prisoners under their
hnx tol kba
offender to develop into the habituaI crimi
nal. and the chronic professional criminal
to grow more desperate and more daring
without let or hindrance. either moral or
legal. True. there are some eight or ten
refOrmatOries within the limits of the Union
but what of that! Should not all prisons
be refOrmatOries? Is not the main object
of our penal laws lat any rate prOfessedl>) }
to reform and rehaDilitate the offender, not
to crush him or make him worse?
Now. let us. in imagination, approach
that huge castellated structure just outside
the city. in which nearly thousand in
dividuals are immured i'm a living tomb!
What is this we see at the entrance? The
sessions in the criminal courts of the ada
cent city have just closed; and the prison
vans are at that moment dsgOrging their lIv
ing freight at the prison dOOr-sOme of them
to find felOn's grave within those gloomy
wallS-Others to emerge. some few years
hence. hardened. reckless full fledged Grim
inals; while alas! but few, an almost IN
finite small quantity. will be returned to
the community. repentant, reformed and
law abiding citizens. We must recollect
that men by an irrevOcable natural law.
cannot stand still-he mnst be constantly
advancing or retrOgrading-his intellectual
and moral forces must expand, or else grad
ually diminish until they are merged into
the pure animal.
Now, having stated the facts as they ex-
ist, it is our duty briefly to point out the
remedy. 1st: The wardens and superin-
tendents of our penal institutions should be
chosen on account of their special fitness
for their pOsitiOn-men of high integrity.
discriminative foresight. practical expert
ence in the management of men, capable of
adapting themselves to any emergency, and
incentive capacity for reading character.
2nd: Efficient and reliable officers being th us
Secured-priSOners on their admission as in
mates should be critically examined as to
their past life. their special prOclivites.
their social, moral and mental status. their
educational and technical requirements.
etc. These facts having been duly recorded.
words OF kindly encouragement sympathy
or caution should be accorded them, as cir
cumstances might dictate; and. in accord
ance Herewith, they should be at once as
signed to one of the three grades into which
the occupants of the prison are divided
further classiicatiOns being made in their
appointment to cells, workshops. and com
paniOns. as the necessities of the case might
require. 3rd: The several grades should be
distinguished by variation in costume.
diet. and the enjoyment of privileges. The
prisoner. on admission. should be placed in
the second or intermediate grade. and be
notified at the time that nine months con-
secutive good behavior and implicit obedi-
ence to rules should entitle him to admission