St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-26
PRISON REFORM

Prison Sunday, which comes today,
mad ltsorigln in meeting of clergymen
of all denominations, in New York city.
Feb. 26. 1884. when a resolution was
adopted urging the observance of che
Sunday in the year for the purpose OF
arousing and quickening the interest of
the people in matters relating to the
best methods of dealing with crime and
criminals. 1t was thought that an agi-
tatlon of this subject in the pulpit will
aid the persons who are giving their
time and their abilities to the work of
prison reform. Tine idea of the
, reformer is to deal with the offender
rather than with his Offense, to study
the phases of his character, his physi-
cal, moral, mental and spiritual needs.
and TO reha5iiitate the criminal with
the forces and qualities of perfect
life.
Of those engaged in various social re-
forms the prison reformer has the hard
est task of all. His work lies among the
hardened ones, the outcasts, and i'm
many Instances the enemies of society.
There is not much romance in his work.
and there are many interested in prison
reform who are disappointed because
the reformation does not come faster, or
that more startling changes are not
noticed. There are some criminals who
are absolutely irreclaimable, because
they are norm that way. 1t is not within
the power of human agency to recon-
struct human nature. But the larger
proportion of criminals are ONLY oc-
caslOnal violators of the law. and are
often more the victims of circumstances
than of criminal disposition These
are the ones who are to be reached and
to be reclaimed by the reformers.
1t is It common error to suppose that
all criminals come from the slums. Of
the $4,000 convietS who are now the in
mates OF state prisons in this country.
the most of them once belonged to the
better elements of society. We have il
on the authority of Rev. Ii. II. HART. of
this city. that the majority of the bows
III the Minnesota state reform school at
tended Sunday school until near the
time of their commitment; 40 per cent
of them came directly from homes. and
IS per cent more had lived at home with.
in one year of their commitment, and
only II per cent were entirely homeless,
If the influences of the home and the
church and the Sunday school cannot
keep them from being criminals, it be.
comes an important inquiry TO ascertain
what Influences can be exerted to stay
the tide of criminality. We have an
idea that when the prison reformer gets
TO the bottom OF his investigations he
will discover that most of the crime IN
this age has its origin in the gross ma.
terialism of the day, in the loose notions
concerning personal honor and indIyid.
ual integrity which pervade our whole
social and industrial systems. 1.-The
young cock crows as the old one crows. d
The man who is dishonest in his deal.
ings and a bypocrite in his religion. ne
matter if he has high social position,
is himself an Instructor in the school OF
CRIME. He Is setting an example whics
encourages younger men to become
criminals.
1t has come to be pretty well under
stood that the old prison methods OF
torture and cruelty can no longer be
tolerated, and in this respect there has
been decided improvement in prison
management. Through the efforts OF
the prison reformers the separation OF
sexes, the adjustment of vindictiye
personal punishments. providing edu.
cational advantages, and other improve.