The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-19
WARDEN WALLS METHODS.


How the Prisoners Are Divided and How
Each Glass IL Handled.
The Boston Herald has symposium
of the methods used In several New Eng
land states In the management OF the
state prisons. 1t includes the methods
used by Warden Wall of Rhode Island.
Warden Wall says because his system
Is a success, and that good treatment Tor
good prisoners aud harsh treatment Tor
bad prisoners is the only proper hethou
OF governing a prisoner. ,,,
He doesn't treat all his prisoners alike.
II a convict wilfully disobeys a rule. his
punishment doesn't last for or 4o
hours; 1t is on for 80 days, ana tne ais,
comforts a man goes through Tor that
| period makes him determine. Judging
| from the results. that in the iuture ne
| will do as he Is told. d,
The number of convicts in the prison OF
| the little state is comparative smaii, put
AS the Cranston institution includes also
| the Providence county jail, warden
Wall has really over 800 men In MS
charge all the time, although Ihev are
not all hardened criminals. They are
| governed by sixteen officers beside the
| warden aud deputy.
| The convicts are divided into iour
classes: The excellent, against whose s
name no marks are recorded; the goou,
COMPRISING those who have been admoh-
ished; the tollerably good, those VINO
have beeu ordered to 60 without supper
Tor two or three days; and the bad, VINO
are regarded as incorrigible, aud VINO pay
frequnt visits TO the dark sell.
The last class is not very numerous.
One visit to the dark cell generally last a
man for several years. IL Is maintained
| in this institution that that is as IL shodld
be. 1t is the final punishment that can
be Inflicted for violation OF the rules, ana
the officials say that the convict must
feel it.
A man who has no bad marks enjoys
all the privileges. Beside getting the
five days off per month, he sees his friends
| regularly, writes letters as often az ne
| chooses, can eat as much frult as MS
friends wish to send him, and can read
as many books as the prison library oilers.
He is also allowed the much favored
privilege OF talking with his fellows al
the noou meals, and can sit during the
latter half-hour OF the noon respite with
other workmen in the shop while oook
is read by one Of the prisoners. -,
Warden Wall says he has seen no III
effects from the talking at dinner time
because as soon as man abuses prlvl
lepe he is put behind the screen for ~
days. where conversation with fellow
convict means the dark cell aud de
privation of other privileges Tor one
month. :,
Now the jail prisoners are not aiioWee
to talk during the dinner hour. They
are mostly employed IN the open air ano
can converse at their work, which th'
state prison birds employed In the shops
are not allowed to do. 30 Warden Vial
divides the matter evenly aud keeps TIT
Jail men quite during the dinner hour.
For another offence they will be doomed
to 20 without suppers for 80 days; IL they
deface library books, they cannot have
anything to read for month; II they
make noise in large cell, they go into
a small one for 80 days; II the noise con
tinues, the dark cell is opened; for ms
lence TO an officer, u man may not see hi
friends when they call. IL goes on il
that way, and il convict continues II
his refusal to obey rules, he finaliy get
to the dark cell.
Warden Wall thinks man goes to th
dark cell second time only through for
getfulness. Generally the recollection
lasts for years, but In some clses the re
membrance wears away in two or thre
wears, and before the man realizes his ba
behavior he finds himself in the plac
again. But he never sticks it out so lon
time on the second occasion as he di
| IN the first.