The morning call., 1893-11-13
A PRISON REFORM.
One IChance for Genuine
Philanthropy.
Convicts in San Quentin Who Would
Like to Be Free From the
Opium Habit.

| There is an opportunity for some ona
| who is of a philanthrOpic turn of lmjnd
and who has a few thousand to invest
where it will most benefit humanity to do
world of good at the San Quentin peni-
tenitiary. And the benefits would not
only be TO the prisoners individually, but
the warden and his assistants would be
saved no end of trouble from the violation
of rules in the prison, nlne-tenths of
which are traceab BILE to the same source.
AS is well known majority of the con-
victs in San Quentin. as in other peniten-
tia ries, are under SO years of age. And it
is also a well-known fact that very large
proportion OF them, pro badly 70 per cent,
are users OF opium in one form or anot her.
And 1t is to this that most of the infrac-
lions of prison discipline can be traced
for the victims of the habit will 60 to any
lengths to get some of the drug.
Here is the opportunity for some gen.
uine phi lanthro phy, for cure which has
been tried on tn rec of the most confirmed
opium users in the prison has proved a
complete success and many of the convicts
are OF only will ng but anxious to undergo
the treatment, but they have no money to
Day for ii.
Of those already treated one was Sc
lected by the physicians as an experiment
10 show what the medicine would do, while
Warden Hale paid for the other two him.
self, but there is no fund belonging 20 the
Institution from which he could draw to
provide for the expense in CURED in giving
the treatment to the mum Der who wish TO
take it.
OF the two prisoners whom the Warden
charged with violating the prls on rules
when the Directors met Saturday eight of
them were concerned with OPT I'm and
three of them in particular When before
the board asked that the treatment No light
be given to them.
II do not want to break the rules of the
prison., said one of them. who, in other
respects, is most exemplary and who is the
I head OF one OF the departments in the jutP-
mill, but | am slave to the habit and
have used opium for fifteen years. | am
| doing twelve-years' sentence and my
time is up in two months and / would give
/ anything If l could get rid Of the ha bit
/ before | go out.
II know it means physical wreck" he
continued, land if | were free from it l
could go out into the world and be a man
again, but have no money TO paw for the
treatment and il cannot be had for moth
ing. | am intelligent enough to know
what opium is doing for me, but can'tget
/ away from it myself"
| OF course the convict was punished by
! losing sixty days of his credits, so that in
| stead of two months it will be four before
/ the prison doors open before him and he
is free again. But his appeal impressed the
members of the board, and ali expressed
wish that they had the power to grant the
convct's plea.
If some wealthy man, like Alexander
Montgomery. only knew how much good
he might accomplish here" said Warden
Hale little later, ''they need not look
further for plan in which to use some of
their money. That foreman in the mill is
only one of many who would be free from
the opium habit if they could. but try
as we may we cannot entirely prevent the
use of it. We do not know how they get
IL. whether through the guards or some
other way. We only know that it gives
us no end of trouble, and that if we had
some way OF getting these men out of the
h abit we might send some of them out
into the world to be better men. Most of
them contract the habit before they come
here, and if they went out free from it
that would largely keep them away from
old conditions and would 60 long way
toward reforming them.
1T l had the money!" continued the
warden, II do not know of place where
it would do more good. And if some per-
sons who are able can be interested it will
work wonders in this prison."