The San Francisco call., 1897-10-27
SAN QUENTIN
IS A FAILURE"
Commissioner Fitzgerald So
Says and FavOrs Its
Abolition.
Calls Whittier and lone Pre-
paratory Schools of
Crime.
He Would Concentrate All Peniten-
tiaries at Folsom and Build
at Once.

Prison Commissioner r. NJ. Fitzgerald
ha. some very advanced ideas regarding
the failures OF prison managementin in Cali
fornia. He has made careful study oi
the situation and has concluded that San
Quentin as reformatory institution Is
worse than useless being breeding place
for the worst of crimes. He says it is a
failure.
The Commissioner is opposed 10 the
congregate system, as at present seen in
California, and thinks the only chance for
i'm provement is to do away with San
Quentin entirely and build some model
prisons al Folsom.
Speaking more in detail. the Com mis-
sioner said: 81 can say from experience
that Whittier and lone are only prepara-
tory schools for San Quentin and Folsom,
and this is not the fault of The Governor.
The congregate svslem at these schools is
very bad. 1t is impossible TO do anything
of importance so long as the inmates oi
these places are hudd ed together under
the present system. Under the organiza-
tion of these schools the best soon became
as bad as the worst, for it is an Old rule
that eyil cOmpany spells boys and girls
Ali l say Is from the results 1 see. We
they are not uhder the control of the
board. but we see the fruits of boh at
Folsom and San Quentin. Atone time we
had seventeen boys from these places at
Folsom alone.
"At San Quentin it is i'm possi BILE for any
reform work to be accom- plisked. 1t is
too near the city and it is almost imp
sible to keep out opium and oIner for bid
den thiLgs. San Quentin ought 10 be
gwen up entirely ana all The prisoners con-
centrated at Fo,som. There are many adj
vantages in this course. The power at
San Quentin costs $1,000 month. All this
would be saved at Folsom, where the
power costs nothing. The only thing
needed 20 make great series of prisons
st Folsom is a little money for cement
and iron work. The prisoners could soon
build The penUentlary out OF the millions
OF tons OF rock abounding in the vicinity.
| think the next Legislature ought to au-
thoriZe the building OF the prison at Fol-
som along the lines | have indicated
There Is no use in maintaining the pres
ent expensive and crime breeding place at
San Quentin. for ii can never be made a
proper prison for The reformation of the
prisoners.
"In the new prison l should segregate
the Conv!cts in lots of a few hundred
each and do all III my power to reform
them under approved methods. Another
thing badly needed is an insane ward for
The mentally incompetent. This Is the
only State in the Union where there has
been Total neglect of the mentally in
competent. 1t is shameful, and the mat
ter ought 10 he regulated as soon as pcs.
sib,e.
1T costs Alameda County alone 500. 600
a year 10 apprehend and prosecute its
criminals. Ii there were penitenuaries
that So punish men as to deter crime
there would be great savin bY reason
of a Gearth OF criminals. San Quentin, as
at present conducted. does not prevent
crime. 1t restraints men of their liberties,
but many OF them care nothing about