Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-10-13

and supervisors in said act contemplated.
These schools. upon the report of this
board will require your attention. and 1t
Is hoped they will be put upon some per
mancnt basis satisfactory to all. so that
they may do the best possible work.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
This is one of the best institutions in the
State. Under the management of an able
board CT trustees and a most efficient
superintendent and matron, little II any
thing about 1t could be improved. 1t is Il
complete school for so many of our unfor-
tunute boys and girls who, by It's loving
influences. are being shown the way TO
respectable life, that you should bear IL
favorably in mind and provide its every
need. In this school the child is taught
industry, common school work, religion,
love and purity.
STATE PRISON AND HOUSE OF COR
RECTION.
! The prisons are conducted by an able
board of directors, efficient officials, and.
considering our present system, the man
agcment is excellent.
Each institution ought to have moro
| farm lands and the Windsor prison ought
! to have the wardens dwelling. which has
been under consideration SO long and for
which an appropriation was once made.
Many convicts can be safely employed at
farm labor profitably to the State and to
great individual advantage. The improve
ments at the House OF Correction. afford
! ing enlarge accommodations. were needed.
| This prison now has n desirable chapel
| hospital and dining room, which allows
| the prisoners to eat at table instead of in
their cells These changes, with the drill
exercise and flower lawns around the
buildings. give the establishment new
appearance
For statement showing expense of inn
provements see appendix.
PRISON REFORM
There are in this country 100000 Grimm
ais, and in this state about 100 of this
number. of the average of % years ana
confined under average sentences of say
three years. Formerly this class had the
sympathy of only sentmentalists and
cranks but latterly clear-headcd, kind
hearted men have entreatcd n larger ef-
fort in their behalf. The experiences of
those who know the most about prison
methods prove the wisdom of rcformatory
work; stern repression being considered
n relic of those days when the mills of the
gods ground fine. There are many serving
behind the bars more from accident than
from Il criminal nature. Some are there
because they know no better, and some
from choice These subdivisions, thong h,
represent a small percentage of prison
life. From whatever cause these fellow
mortals are thus unfortunate, the State
should cndeaVor to put them in the
straight and narrow way; therefore, in
connection with every prison there should
be a school in which portion of every
convict's time should he spent in improv-
ing head and heart The average convict
upon receiving his liberty, becomes par
ent. often of a large family. and instead
of calculating how much can hc nut into
! the treasury from his time and labor while
under sentence. would II not be wiser
1.NF
ourselves in calculating how much good
, can be done him and our future citizen
. ship? During this administration court
expenses have been s93S, eco, three-fourths
, OF which arose from criminal prosecu-
! tons.
Education is the foundation of reform
, alton. 1t is q plant of slow growth. al
/ ways, however, manifestng its influence
in the course Of time, and properly di-
rccted il sure to convert. elevate dignity
and honor. We should no longer, then,
, consider our criminals as Il source of
revenue. but unfortunate men and women
, with souls to save and characters TO re-
, build. The inmates Of prisons are public
i wards from whose vicious tendencies and
: criminal acts society demands protection,
and since these wards are continued from
, generation to generation. is ii not as in
/ tcrosttng to study a diminution of their
numbers aS simply to restrain them ?
Since then repression does not pcrcept.bly
, diminish this social menace. the Innuenc, 5
, by reason of which happily we are above
1t should be sent into the hearts of those
+ who thus break law and disturb order
, 1t - recorded, in those days when the
= mills ground llne, that a duly solcmnzed
+ family became conspicuous in Grim
= inal annals. The parents served
/ the fun term of more or less
a., sentences for their misdecds and
e yet found time to plant the seed from
o wnioh IN two generations, seventy ODD
+ grew up into enrolled criminals. In that
n case the public fenced one side of the
he.d, imagining they had AN enclosure.
= In" people OF this State donate annual
: ly thousands of dollars to prepare tho
: hearts of law-abidng heather In foreign
, lands for communion with the great
Heart of Hearts, but we give nothing tc
l. lift up the hearts of an unfortunate
o class we always have with us, called
- criminals
4 The courts that try and dispose of these
\ cases do the best that can be done iron
a the standpoint of their observation. Nc
man, however, at the outset, can deter
:, convict who starts on a long term OF
prison service; each case should bt
- watched. trusted and encouraged accord
- lnG to the progress observed, Few abso
=, lutciy unimprovable eases will be found
- and they can be put down for stern re
, preston.
- Whatever along this line of thought I!
now done for the convict becomes a par
il Of the governors work, and unless YOU
n desire to continue the course at presen
a pursued in this state with this class q
. our people, you should authorize the boarc
/, of directors to ascertain deserving cases
Ia as they appear from prison discipline an,
p in the school work of the prisons, which
l., you should also authorize, and to recon
/. mend these cases for such conditional cX