The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-04-09
saltwater, Mimi, Thursday, April 1891.

tiOnal department would come first. Every
inmate OF the institution has direct or an
indirect connection with the work of the
schools. The educational features of the
system constitute the ground. work of the
process of reformation in force in the inst-
tuition. The literary or educational feat
ures of the ReformatOry is a department
that was established with the institution it.
self. and each year has been growing to
greater usefulness and developing to wider
fields of instruction. Entrance to and from
all class rooms is made in military order,
thus Obviating any possible confusion
When the classes are in session the scene is
a busy one. The men readily assimilate
themselves to ordinary class surroundings.
and whether the session is held in room or
one of the corridors makes no d Inference in
the interest or attention of the men. The
following from recent issue of The Sum
mary is an interesting description of the
classes and courses:
= characteristic scene can be witnessed on reg.
ular school nights when nearly every inmate is in
attendance at some class session. The bugle
blows and line after line of men pass to their sew
eral class-rooms. You enter one of the rooms and
there see the fundamental principle of the Re.
formatory idea in operaton-education. mental
development. leading to an improved moral state.
You become interested in tho work Of the class.
The attention of the students, the character of
the subject in hand, the ability with which it is
presented make you forget your surroundings.
This is a school. is it not? How does it differ
from others? You ask yourself where you would
be. possibly, had you had no educational advan-
tages, you appreciate the value of your early
training. and now, if not before, you grasp the
meaning of what you see before you. Other
classes are visited from those learning their let.
ters. to these discussing economy. You say, this
is strange indeed. for a PRISON. but you begin to
realize how different it 10 frsm the accepted idea
of prison. ever all. through all, in all you see
the efforts being made to lead these in confne-
ment to a better life.
1t will be observed that the system is a graded
one, advancing from the kindergarten through
the various stages in arithmetic and language to
the upper or lecture division, which studies ethics
economy, literature. history, etc. The lower
classes confine themselves exclusively to letters
and fgures but when the students in their ad :.
vancement reach the First Primary, their horizon
is broadened, and scientific topics are discussed
by them. Promoted to the First intermediate,
they take up, in addition to other work, ethics
and English literature. Reaching "B" class. be-
sides other work in arithmetic ethics. and litera.
ture, history comes rs a sort of advanced Ian
guage lesson; and whom advanced to "A" class
while still studying ethics and literature, yet
other fields in physical geography, economy. and
to few, algebra and electricity, remain to be ex
plored. Moreover, there are special classes in
German italian, and French. for the benefit, not
Of those wishing to learn these languages. but of
those speaking them. and desiring better
quaintance with the English.
Thus it will be seen how. from those learning
their letters to those enjoying the privileges of
the lecture hall, there is a chain whose links, rep
resented by the intervening classes, strongly
welded. unite the various interests into one har-
monious system.
Prominent among the educational feat
ureS are The Summary and the library.
The editorial rooms of The Summary and
the library are one. The Summary is edited
by inmates, and its circulation includes
everybody in the institution, friends and
relatives outside, and considerable num-
ber of subscribers. The library contains
about 5000 books.
Next in Importance is the department OF
industrial training. The industrial training
is now carried on almost entirely for in
structiOn. of course, for production, but
never allowing the interests of instruction
to be interfered with by efforts to produce
earnings. knowledge of the industrial
arts became an all important element in the
RefOrmatOry very early in the history of
the development of the trades schools.
One by one new classes have been started
until now the industrial scope is extended
far beyond the general idea of most of the
casual observers of our work. When man
learns by means of drawing how to con-
struct brick wall in theory. he is assigned
to the brick laying class. and there has
practical proof of the perfection or the the
Ory. So it is in all trades; and it is the aim
of the management that no tractable man
shall be allowed to go out from there until
he shall have mastered some occupation to