The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-08
FUN FOR CRIMINALS.
Amusements Provided for the Men
in Striped Jackets.
A CHANGE BROUGHT ABOUT IN
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.

Humane Methods in Joliet, Saltwater,
tiaries, Whereby Those Incarcerated
Are Given Recreation.
Chicago Times Herald.)
Twenty five years ago prisoners had no
amusements whatever. Now each penal
institution provides some means of recre-
alton for those who are within its walls.
Formerly no sentiment Of humanity
toward the prisoners seems ever to have
penetrated the breast Of the jailer. The
inscription over the entrance of Dante's
Inferno, Let all who enter here leave
hope behind" stood through centuries
over all the prison gates of the world.
The word prison" was then an abode,
hideous, loathsome and terrific. The
prisoners then had only one idea-plans
| for esoape-and the jailers but one idea
that of making torture science and to
inf1ict all pain they could without quite
destroy ing life, and then to hurry and
cure the prisoner and get him well 30 he
could undergo more torture rs soon as
possible.
Some desire for better state of things
appeared in England as far lack as the
reign Of Edward vi in 1850. But in the
eighteenth century, 1904, was the most
effective advance in reform. You could
find such inscriptions as this on marble
slabs at prison DOORS at is Of little use
to restrain criminals by punishment I'M
less you reform them by education. This
was 1872 years ago, and more than l2o
years prior to the introduction of that
system in America by ELAN Lynds and
his associates. Great honor is due Pope
Clement XI for inaugurating this reform
at period when chains, dungeons and
fortunes were almost the only forms OF
punishment in the world.
| Prison reform struggled on with little
success for many years. The first idea OF.
reform in American prisons was in
| 17S6 in Pennsylvania, by the quakers.
| The first state to initiate them was New
York ;-then Maryland, Massachusetts,,
Mainc, New Jersey and Others quickly
| followed their example.
GOOD HABITS ENCOURAGED.
At the present time, in most if not all
our state prisons. every inducement is
afforded the prisoner for the cultivation
of habits of obedience, industry, vigilance
and the best of application of his physi-
cal and mental abilities. This system
recognizes every honest, manly effort put
forth on the part.of thelprisoner to raise
| himself in the scale of manhood. Tho
best prison authorities now go regulate
their systems SO as to govern well by gov
erning as little as possible. The adjust
ment of this system is the government
itself, and it's operation is in harmony
with the internal elements of individual
rights and self respect. thus creating n
powerful leverage for the regulation of
human conduct.
Such government has the sympathy
and support of the best elements of prison
population.
ANY prison government, or for that
matter, any government that does not
have the support of its best members can
not succeed, as the object of all prison
government is for the protection OF So
ciety and reformation ..of The criminal.
All systems of prisonsgovernments.that do
not conduce to this end are failures
1t is sometimes asked, ''But why allow
criminals any pleasure? Are they not to
be punished?" Certainly tEeJ are, and
most certainly do all prisons recognize
this fact in all it's potency. All crimi-
mails. are first made to feel their degreda-
tion and made to feel they have trans
gressed a law against society. But when
by good behavior, earnest work and faith
full ODE dience new spirit manifests it.
self, then and not till then are small
pleasures allowed, and then only with
the utmost discretion on the part of those
over them.
NEED OF TIME FOR PLAY.
The doll and monotonous routine of
prisoner s existence would soon sap his
energy, dull his comprehension and
dea len his sensibilities and indeed make
his life veritable hell were it not for the
few hours allotted him in which he may
in some form or other minister to the
pleasure loving side of his Dature. Every
creature, man or woman, beast of the
field or fowl of the air, and even the fish
that swim, must have their time for
play. Their natures demand it. 'Ali
work and no play makes Jack dull
boy'' is an old but true saying.
! There are, of course, different kinds of
pleasures demanded by as many different
natures, but each and every one must
have some sort of recreation according
to their surroundings, inclinations or
habits. To him whose existence is
bounded by four walls of,stone, doomed
for q considerable time to be held in
durance vile, things of no moment to one
not thus environed seem of great i'm
portance, and the little pleasures Of life