The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-26
PRISON MANAGEMENT.

TENS with which Indiana, ohio. Pennsyi-
yania and Minnesota arc experimenting,
but the delegates from those States skill
fully avoided comparison with the more
practical punitory institutions maintained
in other parts of the country They were
willing enough to talk about revolutions
airy" methods and to enlarge upon the
development of psychological phenomena
the production of which to their minds,
should be the sole purpose OF an up-to-
date prison superintendent, yet they pei
sistently declined TO accept the invitation
OF Warden Starke of the Missouri State
renitentiary 10 discuss the convict q,ies-
ton from the standpoint OF the prisoner and
the taxpayer alike. In Missouri the con-
tract system prevails under State super
vision. The prisoners are worked in shops
| within the walls and the institution is
| more than self supporting, having made
money under Mr.. Starkes management.
as well as having acquired the reputation
OF being one OF the best conducted prisons
In the United States. Its inmates are hu-
| namely treated. as was shown BY good
| and sufficient evidence, although subject
| 10 corporal punishment in extreme eases.
and their lot is about as pleasant as that
Of the patrons OF the more aesthetic has
| tiles maintained farther East while the
taxpayer is relieved of the burden Of their
support. And this latter fact is most
| iihpol tdut Olt lot no sOiuIlOn OF the oQn-
Wet question can be considered acceptable
| or satisfactory wherein the taxpayers in
| terest has not been protected.
| He pays for the oling OF the judicial ma
chinery maintained for the protection OF
society against law breakers and it is but
justice that after the latter have been con-
| victed they should be so handled as to make
| them pay their own way during che period
| OF their Incarceration. But this can be
done without necessarily making their
! lives burden or treating them inhumane-
| ly. Respect for the law can be inculcated
| by reasonable though repressve methods
much more successfully than by the cxer-
else OF cruelty, If it is not forgotten that
crime is the result of mental mperfections
which are often hereditary. The now
| school of prison reformers composed main
| ly OF emotional female prison evaugelists,
Professional humanitarans and lachrymose
soclologists, assert that crime is bred by
| environment and that the transfer of a
| criminal from his daily haunts TO one OF
! the model penitentaiies of which they
| cream is sufficient to cure him OF his evil |
| habits. The experience of the States which !
! have adopted their theories does not sustain
! them in this however. or it would have
| been mere readily given before the late |
| prison congress- All the talk that was
made there about the gentlemen con-
vets OF Indiana, Ohio, Massa-
| chusetts and elsewhere failed to
drown the issue. The fact remained that
crime is as rampant where ideal prisons !
are maintained as elsewhere and it could |
! not be successfully denied that the costly |
prison experiments which are being made |
by some States at the instance of NEEDLE |
some, though good intentioned, theorists
are simply tax eating devices. in excuse !
OF which practical results from any stand |
point can not be shown.
Old time crooks and professional crimI. |
| nails who figure on spending half their |
lives in durance vile are great admirers |
OF the Indiana, Ohio aud PENNSYLVANIA
systems, and it is in evidence that they
give but little trouble after being locked
| up in those States. But one prison ex-
perlence does not cure them. 1t is so easy
to serve term out and the good time al
! iowances are SO liberal that they cheer
| fully obey the rules in force and willinglv
make the show of reform required of them
| and return once, twice and often three
times residence in Jail having become
| more OF a pleasure than a punishment in
! thelr eyes. And the taxpayer he paws the
| nddier. for none OF tha model penitnnti;l-
rles of the North and East are self support
ihg The prison congress dele gates from
OHIO, Pennsylvania and other model nriso,
! states were fully aware of the existence OF
the above recited condition of affairs, hence
! the reluctance with which they apnroachad
the prison question whenever insistence
was made that the psychological side
tDereof be turned towards the wall for
awhile.
Incidentally Texas penitentiary affairs
were discussed during the congress ana
splendid showing was made as long as talk
on this subject Yves confined to conditions
prevailing at Rusk and Huntsville Tho
lease feature of this States penal system
excited no favorable comment. however,
The Texas delegates condemned it them
selves and told of the efforts thew have
made TO have 1t abolished efforts which
nave rallied because of the Indifference of
LEGISLATORS as well as of the people at large.
many of whom have IN the past allowed
ireludices, excited by designing politicians
ana trouble making essayists. 10 govern
them when given an opportunity to vote !
uIon propositions that concentrated tho J
furnishing OF means for the purpose of
withdrawing the leased convicts from the
hands of those who are specializing on
thear labor and OF providing places for
working them on State account. 1t was
mace clear that none of the odium OF the
tease system attaches TO the corps of most | {
ehlcient and remarkably progressive gem =,
tlemen who are charged with the manage
HeHt o. the leNas penal institutions they I
having done everything possible under eX. ,,
listing circumstances to reduce It's horrors
put the Tact remained that Texas has gone
bnt half way along the road towards true ,
prison reform and hesitates in the matter
81 apanaon'ng one OF the most barharous
methous KNOWN for the handling of convicts c
wlthont the excuse of necessity even for {
suehlng to the farming out process which I
mas been fruitful of nothing but shame /
and reproach
Thanks to the splendid work Of the men {
who are now managing the State peniten.
tiaries, though it is possible that the lease +
system may gradually be abandoned even i
without assistance from the lesis,atur. t
and other sources comfortable balan,..
has been accumulated in the penitsnti,rv
treasury In the last few wears and the I
psnitentiary board is considering the nd
Visaoiiity OF purchasing additional lands 7