Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-08

warden who. by a wise and judiclous policy
has improved the standard Of morals in the
pcnitentiary as wcll as made large reduc'
tions In the expenditures. This good record
has been made by the warden despite the
| fact that he has failed to receive the CO.
| operation OF most OF those with whom he has
had official relations In It's management.
! The question OF the management OF pena
| institutions is, Of course dificult undei
most favorable circumstances. There ar,
various methods OF management each hav
/ ing warm advocates While the encourage
ment Of any method OF management that
! will develop the reformatory features o
/ prison life appeals strongly to the sympa'
! thetic and humane sentiments OF mankind
! yet II Is to be borne In mind that the place
| should not be made so inviting that the
! careless and wiekeily disposed will commit
| deeds of lawlessneSs without fearing the
| punishment to follow The humanity OF the
! present ago demands that punishment for
| violation OF law by imprisonment or other
wise shall not be inflicted barbarously. in
! humanity or In any manner that would tend
| to stihe the better sentiments OF a man,
| even though a violator OF the law, but
| rather that the punishment shall be humane,
| yet reasonable fixed, certain and determined
! In it's character This may be brought
about by confinement in the pententary In
solitary cells in restraint OF liberty, in strict
and rigid discipline in plain, simple fare,
yet plenty and wholesome, clothing of the
| most common quality and some particular
uniform color, and hard, steady and con
tinuous labor during the period of conane-
ment.
GRADING OF PRISONERS.
/ do not believe in sentimentality that
would supply to the prisoner, convicted
frequently OF the most heinous crimes known
to mankind with every luxury, form of
amusement or intellectual recreation that
NAt,lI ~, lnI fNsil hN
many who lead a humble yet honest and
upright life. believe in classification of
the prisoners, so far as it can be done, with
the view of separating the older and more
hardened criminals from those who have
committed perhars under mitigating cir
cumstances, their first offense, and who sim
cerely repent, desiring to pay the penalty
for the broken law. retrieve the mistakes
of the past and lead an honest and up
right life. Such prisoners should receive
all reasonable encouragement This, II
seems to me, might properly be done by
constructing new cells in the new cell house
in the east wing of the penitentiary which
is now used as a chapel. This would render
1t less difficult to maintain this class OF
prisoners without coming so much in con
tact with the more hardened class.
While some advocate changing the striped
clothing customary to be used in prisons all
over the country. l doubt the propriety of 1t.
| understand 1t has been tried only in very
few prisons and there found to work not
very satisfactorily. It's advocates say ii Is
degrading and humliating for the offender
to be required to wear this badge of broken
law. 1t can be said with equal propriety
that 1t is humiliating to be put in prison
and restrained of ones liberty. The logical
sequence Of such reasoning would be to dis
charge all the prisoners and tell them to go
on their way and sin no more. We must
come face to face with the practical side of
depraved humanity anl prison management
of such, as well as to have the theoretical
We have had in this state almost ever since
its organization q form OF prison manage
ment that has been debasing and degrading,
a system Of leasing the pententiary and the
cOnvicts therein to selfish individuals for the
purpose of private gain. We have at least
rid ourselves OF this one Objectionable feature
of prison management. The last session OF
the legislature passed an act providing for
the annument OF the lease Of the prison
and prisoners and also providing an appro-
priation for the payment of what should be
found to be due the lessee by the cancellation
of the lease. Under the provisions of the
act the lease was Cancelled. the appropria-
tOn made by the legislature for that pur-
pose being exhausted in the payment This
report is on file in the Office of the land
commissioner. The state is to be congratu-
ated upon the coneummation Of such laui
able object as that OF canceling this lease
even at the expense it incurred.
RELEASING THE CONVICTS.
After the state had taken full control and
possession of the penitentiary and the labor
Of the convicts an effort Yves made by the
Board of Public Lands and Buildings to
again lease the pententiary grounds ma
chinery and labor, thus returning to the OBJ
jectionable system from which We had Just
freed ourselves. AS soon as the intention
OF the board came to my notice | took occa-
sion to communicate to 1t my views in
regard to the matter. in the nature of
protest. asking that the state should assume
control of the pententiary and OF the labor
of its conyicts, except as the same had been
contracted out under the old lease
and which by the terms of the
act for it's cancellation were to
be continued in force during the period for
which they were made. The board, how
ever, proceeded to again lease the peni-
tentiary grounds and property, as well as the
labor of its convCts subject to the sub
contract mentioned 1t occurred to me that
this contract did not properly protect the
interests of the state was beyond the au-
thorty of the beard to- make and ought not
to be recognized as legal and binding
contract on the part of the state. The
warden, being of the same opinion, declined
to recognize the validity of the contract.
The controversy was submitted to the
supreme court and an opinion rendered to
the effect that the attempt to again lease the
prison and the labor of the convicts was
illegal and that the board had exceeded ito
authority.
AFTER the decision or the supreme court
the board called in Mr. James whitehead, |
and under the designation of agent OF the |
board" he assumed TO perform some duties |
connected with the management of the peni- |
tentiary which might very properly have |
been done by the warden under the direction |
of the board. The report of the boards |
agent Is presented with the report of the |
land commissioner. | am satisfied that he |
has accomplished nothing that might not |
have been done by The warden and tha. |
the expenses occasioned by his appointment |
We're utterly needless. 1t is disclosed by |
tbs report Of the agent that there has been |
collected by him, as the proceeds Of the |
labor of convicts, $14, ,2SO.73. OF this amount |
there was expended $l0,01i97 and paid into |
the state treasury S4,115.0S. These expendI- |
lures l regard as having BEEN made wthou. |
Of law All moneys derived from |
tho labor Of cOnvicts should, it would seem |
be turned into the state treasury, to be drawn |
therefTom on approved vouchers as in other
cases. in the manner provided by law. The |
board having the power to make provisions
for the proper employment of idle convicts
seems not to have exercised this authority.
except temporarily, from time to time, as
shown by the report of the agent CT The
board. 1t also appears that the contracts
or agreements temporarily entered into we're
at a much lower figure than heretofore Sc
cured.
1 have thought II proper to go into details