The Saint Paul globe., 1901-03-07
AN INSrRyCTTyE REPORT.

The report of the ST. Paul worihoUse
board which has just been transmitted
To the common council is an exceptionally
interesting and instructive document. 1t
teaches more than one lesson in social
science which those charged with the
administration of American municipali-
ties might take to heart with much adj
vantage to the public service.
1t is generally recognized that the city
workhouse under the administration of
the present board and it's superintend-
ent, Mr. John Fitzgerald, has been in
most respects a model institution. The
current report shows, however, that it is
made the victim of certain of the worst
features of our criminal system that
have been engaging the attention of all
humane students of the humane aspects
of criminology for many years past
It is not the fault of any one or more
officials; it is the fault of vicious and
Undersigned system, that we treat our
local petty criminals in a manner which
II.
after day numbers of poor creatures men
and women thoroughly depraved or ut
terly incapacitated from taking part
in any of the serious work of life, the
victims of alcoholism, of their own con-
genital weakness and worthlessness or OF
the conditions which have attended their
early lives, are brought lip in our local
police court for-punishment. How are
they punished? Invariably by being sent
to the workhOuSe. There is no thought
Of their restraint or reformation; only of
their punishment And what punish
ment! Send poor crippled, debauch4d
mortal to the local workhouse for his
crimes, committed against himself,
rather than against society, for three
days or five days-is that punishment?
Eoes it tend to restrain or reform? VIII
it help the unfortunate victim to give up
his bad habits, OF to protect society
against their consequences? The system
we repeat is barbarous. Nor are it's sins
to be charged up against any official or
public institution or it's management
Here is the picture which Supt. Fitz-
gerald draws OF the operation of the plan
upon the administration of the work.
house, as we'll as upon it's unfortunate
victims. He says:
SIT is, [ think, beyond question that
the practice of imposing short sentences
Tor frequent oHenseS can never produce
the desired results. 1t is q detrimefft to
the WorkhouSe, since in a great MANY
cases, instead of being able to work
them, [ have had to have others care
for them during the entire time for
which they We're sentenced, and in a
rev instances they were not in fit condi-
ton to leave when their terms expired
But worse than that gentlemen, is the
INJURY done to the men themselves. A
tracted spree for ten days, and when
their terms have expired they are
ready for another debauch In the course
OF week they are back with another
ten. This institution, as you know, is
neither a hospital for the sick nor an
asylum for the insane; and yet iudg-
ing from the number of aged, decrepit
and imbeclle creatures that are repeat
edly sent here, one would imagine that
that was the original design of the insti-
tuition.
This is an effective indictment of the
entire plan. The Clio b e has condemned
it more than once When an enlightened
municipality thinks proper to make a
sobering-ilp place of its city penitentiary,
and temporary resort for it's diseased
and mentally and physically incapable
population, doing so in the rame of prr,
ishn,ent for offenses which they do rot
| understand and which they cannot
through disease avoid the commission OF
the condition presented to view is surely
! one fer which every intelligent member
Of that municipality should blush.
1t is a gratifying circumstance in itself
that the workhouse board is able to show
such excellent results from the mainten-
ance and administration of the CITY
workhouse. under conditions which. as
Mr.. Fitzgerald very properly points out
cause it to be regarded as more in the
nature of a hospital or insane asylum
than a local prison.