The San Francisco call., 1897-10-22

ber OF SOCIETY," he IS first taught that there
is strong power aside from himself
whose DEGREES he must obey. To this end
he is put in solitary confinement for a
limited period, which may be greatly
shortened by good conduct. Pe must
mediate alone until he throws aside his
own will and places himself under the
reign of law.
The second stage of the reformatory
process allows the convict to speak TO his
asso iates, 1t gives him more liberties
and more rules of conduct to obey. He is
taught to respect the rights of his fellows
and TO obey the more com plex rules of the
prison.
In the third stage the convict is allowed
to do work with his associates-as on
farm or IN the jute- mill. The fourth stage
allows him out on parole, and IN the fifth
he is made ticket-of-Ieave man.
Under this system good prisoners are
soon discovered and quickly promoted,
while evil minded ones are soon relegated
back to the more punitive stages OF pun
ishment
AT San Quentin there Is no system of
rewards worthy of the name. Murderers
condemned to die are allowed special
privileges, while all grades of prisoners
are classed together like so many dogs in
pound without any reference TO their
degree OF reformation. With mora
rational system of rewards meu not
essen TALLY criminal by nature are soon
promoted beyond the pervert class.
"lt is well known to all students of
crime," says Mr.. Mills, that there are
persons in all prisons in whose lives the
crimes tor which they are being punished
are exceptional and accidental Morally
and spiritually they are not criminals.
There should be some such system as that
organized by Captain Crawford where by
this class Is soon discovered. If | were
Governor tomorrow l would find who tn.
men are that deserve clemency. | think
there are probably 100 men in San Qu4nti
who have been punished 10 the point of
reformation. They would commit no
further crimes and society would profit
by their liberation.
There are many men who have com
| mItted some such crime as EN- bezzlement
or forgery. Their friends have squared
the matter ana the men have practically
been frightened INTO good CITIZENSHIP
Well, there are such men in the prisons at
all times. 1t is the office of scientific
penology to discover this class as soon as
possible. The chronic or imin al is the man
who cannot prosper under the system. so
he Will not want to return when he is set
Tree. Ihe harshest prison in America is
at Charleston, Mass. The criminal class
shuns 1t as they would flee from a pesti-
lence. The New York system works good
results unuer P.llsbury, the welI-known
penologist. 1t has punishment in 4 ra
tional way, and that is what our primitive
system out here lacks in every detail. We
need a system that VII restrain. reform
and deter criminals. while Offering nm
name rewards that Will work no hard shin
on the patient who is undergoing the
treatment. San Quentin Is place where
men are lmpouEded like so MANY dogs
with liberty TO yelp and bark, to plot and
revel in crIminality in one chaotic mas
regardless OF spiritual instincts. mor.i
tendencies and all those things thar ourbt
TO be studied IN the effort to do Justice to
The criminal and the State ~