The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-23


cook county, Ill, jail IL
brary. and what it has al
ready accomplished for it's inmates. IL
is of peculiar Significance to the many
people who would like to do something
toward the reformation of criminals,
but who feel themselves utterly unable
or unn. for prison visiting, or are
overwhelmed with what so large
proportion of humane individuals con-
s!cler the hopclessness of reforming lhe
ccnvict or helping him after he Is dis
charged.
John I. Whitman, custodian of chi
cago's county Jail, here spoken oi IS
not of the pessimist@. The Record
Herald tells how Mr.. Whitman con-
ccived his library idea, how ne
started it into action. who has helped
him. how 1t has been and Is carried
on. how 1t has made new men OF some
prisoners. and started them as honest
and useful members of society.
From a lot of tattercd and cast-off
books sent from the public library,
Mr.. Whitman selected sixty for prescr-
ration, and had them repaired. At
first he made no systematic effort to
hand them out. but any prisoner VINO
asked for one was served. Other books
and periodicals were gradually added.
Two Or three years ago an attorney in
Chicago became Interested, and
through his influence and help Il room
was fitted with shelves. and a library
of some 200 volumes has been gath
cred. chiefly by single volume gifts.
The guards for time added to their
other duties the distribution of books,
but librarian was needed. the 1lrst
one was found in an educated man.
sentenced for violation of the postal
laws who at once took u warm inter-
est in the library studied the needs
and preferences of the prisoners, ad-
vised Mr.. Whitman and Attorney
Moss in the selection of books, coun-
seled the prisoners as to lines of read
ing and study. arranged the system
of regular distribution and collection
of books
Between halfpast three in the after
noon and half-past nine next morning
the prisoners are confined in their cells.
Reading and study in the evening have
become the regular order on all the
seven tiers of cells. Discipline is made
easy of preservation. The library has
shown itself a real factor in reform.
One instance is that of IL lad who took
up IL course of civil engineering while
in Jail, became on his release an en-
gineer. on one of the United States
great warships. and has been promoted
by reason of competency and steady
conduct. Another young man by dill
gent study of the only textbook on
shorthand in the library has become
an expert stenographer, and proposes
to make an honest living by that. An
other has been carrying an imperfect
knowledge of German to completeness
that will serve him to do the same
thing. These are sample instances, not
all by any means that might be given.
Mr.. Whitman has succeeded in add
ing during the past winter a series of
lectures to the prisoners on two even
ings of each week; and "hupes these
may result ultimately in a correlation
between the library and the lectures"
There is no call for comment on this
work. 1t speaks eloquently for itself.
There is nothing in it but that which
can be done in every county Jail
towards effective aid in reforming
many prisoners. 1t is likely to prove
r...-.
itng and cNhortations to reform. The
first prisoner-libraran has served his
term, has gone out IL better man, aud
continues his interest in the library.
who will come forward to organize
regular prison library work in Scran-
tom