The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-01-20
THE COLUMBIA HERALD: FRIDAY. JANUARY 20 Is. 8.
PRISONS, AND THE ECONOMY OF IT.

PRISONS, AND THE ECONOMY OF 1T.
Let us look the matter squarely in the
face. Society, the organized something
that holds Va in check in so many diff
ferent directions, has just three reasons
for shutting man up-tirst, that So
ciety may snugly take its rest or go
about its business undisturbed; second,
that the wrong .doer shall receive pun
ishment for the wrong he has commit
ted against his fellows; and third, that
he shall be benefited by his incarcera
ton and restored to the walks of life an
improved creature.
So
1t is not worth while at this time to
indulge in much sarcasm against the
perverted condition of mind that makes
some of us think that the people out
side prison walls are all good and the
people inside all bad. Any of us who
think quietly know that there are stalk
ing frauds at large and that law, the
sacred bond of human creatures, has
often been called upon to do injus tice.
So we will pass by the ease-loving ten
dency of society that makes it Danish
evildoers from it's sight and imagine
4 that problems are solved by shutting
the eyes to them. The days yet to come
will show an improved order of hui
mainly among whom crime shall be re-
garded as phenomenon, like disease
to be studied and analysed and under
stood and then battled with intelli-
gently.
az
But we can though sighting the first
reason society gives for its behavior to-
wards criminals give fuller attention
to the second question and ask whether
punishment, as it is at present melted
out, is a condition tn at will be allowed
to continue indefinitely. The idea of
Furnishing for wrong doing is probably
right as it permeates all law and all
hearts ancient and modern; but the
facts in connection with punishment
aye too often wrong At present in
most cases Oh g lad or the man or the
woman who has been in Jail comes
forth at the end of the-term of impris-
onment only to find that punishment
has not ended with the prison cell. The
criminal in the first place is almost al
ways destitute at discharge next he
finds that the prison stigma-like the
brand of Cain-is upon him wherever
he is known, and lastly that be is de-
tered from honest work by the sur
yeillance of the police and the suspi-
cions of those who with unreasoning
and horribly unjust bias argue "once q
criminal always a criminal" and so
hinder him in every direction from
earning a dollar on their premises,
though perfectly willing to pass him
on to some one else to look after So,
ciety at present not only demands its
"pOund of flesh" from the woe begOn e
evildoer, but it takes, in effect, the pre-
cious life as we'll and is guilty of wick
ed usury in compelling one misdeed to
so overspread mans life that it is per-
manently injured and darkened even
after he has paid his rightful debt for
the wrong that he has done. Under the
circumstances so well understood by
those who come in touch with crimi-
mails, who is to blame for the gloom and
hopelessness and revengeful spirit that
fills the souls of these who are forced
into the "don't care" spirit? Society
| NJ 8
the neighbor over the way, but the So
ciety made up of the man who reads
and hears this and mods his head in APP
prevail. So long as society in the abb
stract is spoken of, we, you and L, are
hard and harsh; we parade Pharisai-
cally our superiority to these cringing
creatures who only ask for chance
and in the great scales of the all-wse
our souls weigh less than those who dc
| not aspire and would rise if we only
permitted them. But society IN the
day yet to dawn after the hard hearts
of men have gradually melted down,
will not thus act. Punishment will
cease when the term prescribed has
ended; and the criminal will claim the
rig bit to be regarded no longer in the
light of his past-and the claim will be
granted. He will-if humanity is ever
to be just-be accepted at his true val
uation as a man who has done wrong
but repented and suffered and paid his
debt to the full. The past shall be pas
, with him, and the Judgment of him
passed solely upon his merits and hi.
capacity in the present. Then shall
there be fewer society-made enemies
, of society.
The third idea of present day society
being reputed to be-the improvement
of the prisoner; we can see in many
States still an absolute evasion of this
responsibility. A prison is merely
made box for safe seclusion instead
I of residence for a scientific study and
improvement. The men in charge, as
usual thing, are absolutely untit
T either by mental training or by heart
, culture to understand the impulses of
. the criminal or the ins and outs of his